TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -The Tampa Bay Buccaneers don't have any illusions about what the St. Louis Rams will try to do to jump-start their season.
Marc Bulger still directs a potent passing attack featuring big-play receivers Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce. However, the Bucs feel that the player who really makes the Rams go on offense is running back Steven Jackson.
"He's a beast," Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden said.
"In my opinion, one of the great backs - not good backs, but great backs - in the league," 10-time Pro Bowl linebacker Derrick Brooks agreed. "He does a lot for them."
Not the past two weeks.
Jackson has averaged 3 yards per carry during St. Louis' 0-2 start, and the Rams also have struggled to get the fourth-year pro involved in the passing game. He has four receptions for 39 yards after leading all NFL running backs with 90, while also rushing for 1,528 yards and 13 touchdowns, in 2006.
The Bucs (1-1) expect the Rams to try to get him back on track when the teams meet Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.
"He's a great receiver - no one talks about that enough. He can take a 2-yard check-down 70 yards. I've seen him do it. He's a tremendous football player. He's a power runner, he's an elusive back, he's a complete package," Gruden said.
"He's not off to the start, I think, that he's accustomed to being off to, but he's one or two plays away from exploding right back onto the scene."
Jackson carried 18 times for 58 yards during St. Louis' season-opening loss to Carolina, then gained 60 yards on 21 attempts last week when the Rams had nearly 400 yards total offense to San Francisco's 186 - and still lost 17-16.
Turnovers hurt St. Louis in both games, but so did the lack of production from Jackson, who's been running behind an offensive line missing injured Pro Bowl tackle Orlando Pace.
"You don't want this to be the week that he gets out of the gate," Bucs defensive tackle Chris Hovan said.
"A couple weeks now he has been frustrated with some of the runs that he has had. Hopefully, we are going to be up to the task to stop him. ... First and foremost our focus is to stop (Jackson), and then get after Bulger."
