"Steven Jackson took the handoff from Sam Bradford, dashed off left tackle behind excellent blocking and didn't stop until he had crossed the goal line 47 yards later untouched. Touchdown, Rams. What a way to start the season.

The opening day crowd responded with more than just loud applause. There was that tingly sort of electricity in the air, something rarely felt in the Edward Jones Dome in recent years. After the near miss for a playoff berth in 2010, a frenetic free agency period and an unbeaten preseason, Jackson's lightning bolt against Philadelphia heralded the dawning of a new era of Rams football. The dark cloud that had hovered over Rams Park for years was finally lifted.

Or maybe not.

Jackson slowed as he approached the end zone. While the Rams' defense was on the field for the next series, Jackson rode a stationary bike on the sidelines. And on his second carry of the day, with a hole big enough to score another touchdown, Jackson limped his way to a 9-yard gain.

He was done for the day, and done for most of the next month with a pulled quadriceps muscle. Cadillac Williams replaced Jackson the rest of the way against Philly and performed admirably with 91 yards rushing. No disrespect to Williams, but a healthy Jackson might have run for 191.

That was the game plan that day, to pound away at the undersized Eagles front seven and take advantage of their inexperienced linebacker corps. Maybe the Rams upset Philadelphia with a healthy, rambling Jackson. Maybe that gives them a jolt of confidence, boosting them to a surprisingly fast start against a daunting early-season schedule. We'll never know."