Fred Jackson at full strength, rehab update
Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson is one of the best all-around players in the league, and I’m sure New England Patriots fans can attest to that fact after the main games Jackson has torn up the usually staunch Patriots run defense. Jackson is also one of the toughest players in the league, and he returned from an LCL injury far earlier than expected just to play against Buffalo’s AFC East rivals to the north. Granted, he didn’t play well, but he had a huge impact in the Bills second matchup against New England. The Pats run defense was shredded right after the bye in a narrow 37-31 victory over the Bills, because C.J. Spiller and Jackson brought the pain. The league’s top running back duo was terrific, and Jackson, finally somewhat healthy, averaged five yards per carry on 16 rushes for 80 yards and two touchdowns. The Patriots-killer also caught four passes for 35 yards in a valiant, albeit losing, effort.
Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
Anyway, the Bills running back dealt with two severe knee injuries this season that severely limited his ability to produce, as he sprained his LCL in Week 1 (still can’t believe he pushed himself to come back so soon) before being knocked out in Week 14 for the remainder of the season with an MCL sprain. That’s one of the most severe sprains a player can have, which makes the latest news from the Buffalo Bills official site all the more better.
Fred Jackson has declared himself 100% healthy and his rehab is moving ahead on schedule and said on The John Murphy Show, “I’m doing some lifting now. I’m 100-percent, I feel like it. I don’t anticipate any kind of drawbacks or anything before I get cleared by the doctors next week.”
The 31-year-old is a true team player and continues to be more than happy with sharing carries with fellow star back C.J. Spiller, and he admitted that he didn’t have a good season in 2012 after averaging 3.8 yards per carry. But he was so limited by knee injuries that the fact that he hauled in 34 passes in ten games and scored four touchdowns is impressive enough in my book. Jackson also said on the show that he is excited for the new coaching staff in Buffalo.
It’s great to hear that Jackson is improving early in the offseason, and this season has made me appreciate his character and ability at the RB position even more so than in years past. I’m sure most Bills fans feel the same way about Jackson.
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