Leadership and Explosiveness: DeSean Jackson Takes Eagles’ Offense to New Levels
It was 3rd and 10 from the Eagles 49-yard line. Trailing 17-0, Carson Wentz and the Eagles offense were desperate to get something going and keep the drive alive. Except they did not. Instead, they ended it.
The Redskins only sent three rushers on the play, dropping the rest into coverage. Carson Wentz had all of the time in the world to sit back and let the play develop. Rather than throwing a check down pass to a wide-open Zach Ertz about 4 yards short of the first down marker, Wentz showed Lincoln Financial Field the deep ball he has been working on all offseason. As the ball soared through the air, fans at the Linc immediately began to cheer. They knew DeSean Jackson was going to reel in that pass.
D-Jax is home.
Photo: Derik Hamilton/UPI
After Chip Kelly, unfortunately, released DeSean Jackson in 2013, the Eagles have struggled to find a player to fill the deep-threat role on offense. Players like Josh Huff, Torrey Smith, and Mike Wallace all came into the organization to fill the void, but nobody can compare to DeSean.
Fast forward five seasons, Howie Roseman has an opportunity to trade for Jackson and bring him back to Philadelphia, where he belongs. Roseman did just that, sending a future 6th round pick to Tampa Bay in exchange for the speedy receiver that Philadelphia fell in love with from the year he entered the league.
It is no question that Jackson still has game-breaking speed and agility that still makes him one of the best pass-catchers in the game. However, it would be hard to believe that anyone knew he was going to be THIS good. The hype was real all season long, but DeSean Jackson put on a performance like no other on Sunday afternoon.
Reeling in 154 receiving yards and two touchdowns on eight receptions, Jackson proved he was the best player on the field in Week 1 and showed his skill in both the short-yardage and deep ball passing game. Watching Carson Wentz and DeSean Jackson connect all season long is a dream come true for Eagles fans.
Everyone watching the game was aware of his skill. But what goes unnoticed is Jackson’s leadership ability. First of all, days before the home opener, DeSean broke his finger and it seemed as if missing Week 1 was never a possibility. #10 wouldn’t miss his homecoming to Lincoln Financial for anything. His ability to not only play, but dominate with an injury sets a standard for all Eagles teammates: this team will do anything to win, and win big.
Malcolm Jenkins also noted that before going back onto the field for the second half, DeSean broke the huddle. It is evident that the Eagles team as a whole looked lethargic, out of rhythm and unenergized the entire first half. The cause for their breakout in the second half? DeSean Jackson. Jenkins said that the speech was not anything out of the ordinary, but it was clearly enough to get his teammates fired up and ready to dominate. With an abundance of leaders on the team, Jackson fits right in. He wants to win, he wants to win big and has the energy to do so.
DeSean is not just a washed-up receiver that should be overlooked by anyone. Opposing NFL teams will have a game-planning nightmare ahead of them when they have to line up a defense against #10.
Teams around the league have been warned; DeSean Jackson and the Eagles are going to be hard to take down.
Featured Photo: Matt Rourke/AP Photo
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Categorized:Eagles