Sunday, January 29, 2012

What if Fred Jackson finished the 2011 season?

BY NICK ST. DENIS

In honor of Fred Jackson's stellar first half of the 2011 season and the fact that he was ineligible for the Pro Bowl because of his injury, let's take a look at what could have been for the fifth-year Bills tailback.

Entering Week 11, Jackson was averaging 101.9 rushing yards a game, he had six touchdowns in the nine games and was gaining 43.6 yards a game via receptions.

Based on those numbers, here are Jackson's projections for the entire season had he played the last seven games:

Rushing yards: 1,630.
Rushing TDs: 11.
Receiving yards: 697.

While it's all speculation, and everyone misses time from at least the most minor injuries, those projected numbers would have put him atop the NFL in rushing yards, where he was before he got injured.

Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew took the rushing title with 1,606 yards, and Ravens' Ray Rice was second with 1,364.

With 697 yards, Jackson would have been third in receiving yards for a running back. In fact, Jackson's role in the passing game was a huge factor in the Bills' early success on offense.

Jackson, 30, was the team's best player in 2011 when he was in the huddle and on the field.

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