Jackson, who strained his right thigh Oct. 19 vs. Dallas, attempted to come back two weeks later against Arizona. He managed just seven carries and did additional damage to the muscle in the process, forcing him out for the next three games.

His thigh was a bit tight and sore throughout the 16-12 loss to Miami, Jackson said. "But now, it's not worse than what I was feeling in the game," he said afterward.

So, Jackson should be in the lineup Sunday, when the Rams challenge the Cardinals in Arizona. He might be limited again, though. Jackson's anticipated workload against the Dolphins contributed to a dispute over whether he was "gassed" in the fourth quarter, as Haslett put it, or whether he was kept on the sideline as a precaution.

Jackson firmly denied that he was fatigued. "No, I wasn't gassed," he said. "I had 21 carries and felt great."

Haslett tiptoed around the subject Monday, asserting that "it kind of got blown out of proportion." He explained that the plan was for Jackson to get "15 to 18 touches, and then on third down to go with (Kenneth) Darby, spell (Antonio) Pittman with him when he needed a break.

"(Jackson) got 22 touches (including one reception), so he got a little bit more than we wanted."

Still, only one of those touches - a 1-yard run with 14 minutes, 4 seconds left - came in the fourth quarter. Jackson wasn't on the field for the Rams' last three series.

"He started dragging (his leg) a little bit," Haslett insisted. "You could tell that he hadn't played in a month, and he was a little sore. I commend him for fighting through it and trying to get in there and play. He did a good job when he was in there."

injury update

The Rams came out of the game with no serious injuries. Guard Richie Incognito left early in the second half after taking a shot to the head on a field-goal attempt, but he's not expected to miss any time.

Wide receiver Keenan Burton (knee) and defensive lineman Victor Adeyanju (neck) will be day-to-day this week, Haslett said. Wideout Donnie Avery (hip) might not practice Wednesday but should be OK.

Also, linebacker Chris Draft, who broke a bone in his foot Nov. 2 against the Cardinals, will return to practice and could suit up Sunday.

atogwe's big day

Safety Oshiomogho Atogwe was busy Sunday. He piled up 13 tackles, according to the coaches' film review, and forced two fumbles, one of which set up Josh Brown's fourth field goal.

"O.J.'s a heck of a Football player, and I think people are starting to recognize that," Haslett said. "The guy's a ball magnet, he does a great job punching the balls out, he's got great hands, and he's a good tackler."

long vs. long

Haslett didn't declare a clear-cut winner, but he thought defensive end Chris Long performed well in his head-to-head matchup with Dolphins left tackle Jake Long, a pairing of the top two picks in last April's draft.

Chris Long, the No. 2 overall selection, recorded two tackles and a team-high three quarterback pressures.

"The (fourth) play of the game, he got a hit on the quarterback," Haslett noted. "Jake's a heck of a Football player, but I thought Chris did a very good job. He was excited about playing Jake all week."

RAM-BLINGS

Rookie linebacker David Vobora had 10 tackles in his first NFL start. ... The Cardinals (7-5) would clinch the NFC West title with a win over the Rams (2-10).