This summer, the Los Angeles Rams have experienced some injuries. In an attempt to establish the best lineup of five linemen that Los Angeles can deploy on Sunday night, recent roster moves have prompted former left guard Jonah Jackson to relocate to center due to various injuries along the offensive line.
It’s something of a reunion for Jackson and quarterback Matthew Stafford. In addition to being LA’s first opponent in 2024, Detroit is also the former franchise of both players. In actuality, Jackson spent a portion of the 2020 campaign playing center for Stafford in Detroit.
“It’s nice to have him back there,” Jackson grinned and remarked of Stafford. “He’s the wizard.” If you are unsure, he can solve the puzzle for you.
Tennessee Titans vs. Detroit Lions
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Although Jackson still has a lot expected of him with less than a week to adjust, Jackson seemed at ease with the change when he spoke with reporters this week following practice.
“I played center in high school and a good amount of center in college. I started out playing football at that position,” Jackson said. “I filled in as center in the league when necessary. Now, if Frank Ragnow, our center in Detroit, hadn’t been an All-Pro and Pro Bowl player, I definitely would have made the switch sooner in my career. I’m prepared to play because it’s not something I’ve done before.
Jackson went on to say that although he was officially supposed to play left guard this season, he had confidence in his ability to make all the decisions, even at short notice, because Rams offensive line coach Ryan Wendell, a former center himself, would regularly question all offensive linemen with any possibility of playing center.
Jackson remarked, “It’s not like, ‘Oh my gosh, he’s now learning these calls.'” “In the room, Wendy doesn’t call on Steve (Avila). He will give me, Beaux (Limmer), and anyone else who might be playing center position a call so that we can all be ready. When a center is required, it seems as though nothing changes.
In what is now one of the NFL’s loudest environments, LA’s new center will be calling the shots. When Stafford returned to the city that picked him, Detroit was ecstatic, and round two should be no different. Fortunately for Los Angeles, their quarterback appears to be at his best under the most antagonistic of circumstances.
“Am I aware of the crowd? Yes, I can definitely sense the audience,” Stafford remarked on Wednesday. “A driving force. I adore it. I’m one of the men who enters the rival stadium and sees everyone else wearing headphones, but not them. I’d like to hear everything. I’d like to inhale its scent. I want the atmosphere to be football-like. And that’s a part of playing football, particularly when you’re traveling. That kind of stuff just inspires me.
Stafford stated, “It’ll be a big challenge for us, a hostile environment.” “We are aware of that. We carried it out the previous year. We are eager for the season to begin and a fresh challenge because we know what it takes to go in there, operate, and try to perform at a high level.
Since Jackson and Stafford are both human, it is reasonable to anticipate more feelings before their return to Detroit. The Rams’ seasoned quarterback may have captured the essence of their fury this week when he remarked, “Just because something happened a year ago, doesn’t mean it’s going to happen again.” The Rams are still hunting for their retribution. The Rams, who now own the reins to their own fate after being tipped as contenders during the offseason, will try to live up to the hype starting against the Lions in Week 1.
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