JACKSON GETTING MIFFED WITH HASLETT

The war of words between Rams running back Steven Jackson and coach Jim Haslett gradually is escalating. Recently, Haslett suggested that Jackson’s leg injury, which caused him to miss five games and limited him to one carry in another, occurred as a result of his training-camp holdout for a new contract. Jackson disagreed. After Jackson’s full-time return to the field on Sunday, Haslett said that Jackson was “gassed and his leg was starting to bother him.” Jackson disagreed again. “No, I wasn’t gassed,” Jackson said. “It wasn’t my conditioning. I wish he’d stop saying that.” But maybe Jackson should stop and think about whether Haslett is trying to do him a favor. Because if Jackson’s overall ineffectiveness this season isn’t the result of a holdout-induced injury and his lack of conditioning after missing several weeks of practice and games, then the perceived dip in Jackson’s play could make him the latest in a long line of tailbacks who seemingly go soft once they get paid big money. So maybe that’s what Haslett should say. Maybe he should say Jackson might have lost a little bit of his heart once he filled his bank account, just like Shaun Alexander and Larry Johnson. For the season, Jackson has 619 yards rushing in seven games plus that one-carry cameo against the Cardinals. He has topped the 100-yard mark twice. On Sunday, he finished with 94 yards on 21 carries.