NFC West offenses will be off and running this year

RENTON — Not so long ago the NFC West featured the most dynamic passing attacks in the NFL.

But that was before the hiring of three defensive-minded coaches in Seattle, San Francisco and St. Louis.

New Seahawks coach Jim Mora put the West Coast offense on ice. New Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo closed The Greatest Show on Turf in St. Louis, and 49ers coach Mike Singletary, who was an interim coach last season, promised to recommit to the running game.

If you want pass-happy football, go to Arizona. Otherwise, prepare for an offensive makeover.

Of course, this is all good news if you're a running back. And if you're Steven Jackson, the most dominant runner in the NFC West, well, then it's very good news.

He said the change in offensive schemes in the division is tied to the change in coaches.

"That's the thing with defensive coaches," he said Wednesday during a conference call with Seattle-area reporters. "They realize that running the ball is their friend. It keeps the defenses off the field and allows for the offense to wear out the opponents' defense. I think both teams want to be physical. They want to start off the season the right way and show teams in the future that you're a tough team."

While quarterback Marc Bulger, who practiced Wednesday for the first time in 3 ½ weeks, returns from a broken little finger on his throwing hand, the Rams figure to lean heavily on Jackson early in the season.

Jackson fully expects defenses to load up on stopping the run because St. Louis debuts an inexperienced receiving corps Sunday against the Seahawks at Qwest Field.

"We've been facing eight- or nine-man fronts a couple of years now," he said. "It's nothing that's foreign. The only thing is, we got to make sure we block it up when that happens."

The Rams are desperately hoping the one-time Pro Bowl running back can return to his form of 2006, when he led the NFL in yards from scrimmage with 2,334 — 1,528 rushing and 806 receiving. Over the past two seasons, Jackson's output dipped when he ran for 1,002 yards in 2007 and 1,042 in '08.

"We're not [going to be] a one-person oriented team or offense," Spagnuolo said. "It's going to take a lot of guys on offense. He's certainly a quality player, and we'll use him where we need to.

"He's had a great offseason. He's in terrific shape. He's been coached well by Sylvester Croom. He kind of likes the offense and his role in it."

Spagnuolo and new offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur are preaching offensive balance and ball control, which is eerily similar to what Mora and new offensive coordinator Greg Knapp are selling the Seahawks.

Like Jackson, Seahawks running back Julius Jones is looking to bounce back from a subpar season while adjusting to a new offense. He's getting used to a new zone-blocking scheme and a makeshift offensive line missing starting tackle Walter Jones and center Chris Spencer.

"I expect a lot out of myself," said Jones, who ran for 698 yards last season. "And the team expects a lot out of me too. I welcome that. I like pressure. I thrive on it and I won't let them down."

He ran for a career-best 4.4 yards per carry last season, but after 373 yards in the first four games, he failed to rush for 40 in any of the final seven games.

Jones believes this is a "make-or-break season" in his second year with the Seahawks and sixth in the NFL.

Just in case Jones wears down again, the Seahawks signed Edgerrin James, the active rushing leader, two weeks ago. Their lockers are next to each other at the Seahawks' training facility, and Jones said he doesn't feel threatened with James as a backup.

"It's just the opposite," Jones said. "He's going to be a great addition to the team. He already is. He's got a lot of tips. He's played for a long time and I'm always looking to learn something from somebody, especially somebody like him."

Percy Allen: 206-464-2278 or pallen@seattletimes.com