The difference between now and with Grant is that McCarthy actually feed Grant the ball on a consistent basis even when it wasn't working for the most part. If you look at Grant early in the season and early in games, he is no better than Jackson. Look at the first 10 carries per game for the first 1/2 of both 08 and 09 seasons for Grant. He averaged 3.4ypc 08 and 3.75ypc 09. If you break it down further. In those first 10 carries of those games.
(0 or - runs) 13.5 per season, (1-4yds) 41 per season, (5-10yds) 17.5 per season, (11-20yds) 5.5 and no runs over 20 (1 was 20 exactly)
Now this isn't an exact comparison because Jackson didn't get the ball as consistently to get in a rythm with the Oline, but If you look at Jackson first 10 (or less in 2 games) for 8 games starting (I threw out Wash because I didn't want that 71 yarder to sway the numbers unfairly). Jackson is 3.77 ypc, with 10 (0 or -), 46 (1-4) , 12 (5-10), 7 (11-20) and 1 (>20)
So using about the same carries, Jackson averaged more yards, had less zero or negative carries, more short runs, less mid range and more long runs.
Again the difference being McCarthy stuck with Grant, but never gave Jackson a chance. I don't dislike Grant, I think both are good, both have different styles and bring different things to the table. I really think McCarthy screwed up splitting the carries so much with Kuhn. Anybody that knows football will tell you, the run game gets better the more you use it. Grant shows that, if he would have been limited as much as Jackson, he probably would have ended those seasons with 7 or 8 hundred yards but instead McCarthy stuck with him even though he didn't have great production early.
The world needs ditch diggers too Danny!!!