Impact of Losing DeSean Jackson
By [https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Michael_J._Burke/428205]Michael J. Burke
Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson had to leave the game on Sunday against the Redskins due to a concussion. He is the second key player on the Eagles offense to sustain such an injury this year. Brian Westbrook received two this year and it is unknown if he'll return again this year or ever play again. Concussions are a scary thing and something that has to be taken very seriously, especially with a player as young as Jackson. I'm sure the Eagles organization will monitor him very closely and not allow him to play unless he is truly ready. The question is how well can the Eagles offense perform without him?
Jackson has really been on a mission this year to prove to the NFL that he is an elite talent who is ready to be a big time player for a long time. Every time the ball is in his hands there is the possibility for a big play. His 35 yard touchdown reception against the Redskins on Sunday was his shortest of the year. This says a lot for a guy who has scored seven times on offense so far this year.
Don't get me wrong, Jackson does have a lot of explosive players around him on offense. However, how can the Eagles offense perform without their number one playmaker on the field? Jeremy Maclin can be an explosive big play threat but he is still a rookie and hasn't show the ability Jackson has yet. That doesn't mean he's not capable, but I think he is still learning. If Jackson is going to miss time, the other Eagles wide receivers have to step up.
The recent production of Jason Avant is promising because it is definitely going to need to continue if Jackson is out. Avant is going to make the big play by running by you like Jackson can; however, he runs well down the middle of the field and knows how to get himself open. He has made a number of big plays for the Eagles recently and is going to need to continue doing so.
Brent Celek who has been a beast for the Birds all year had a down game on Sunday against the Redskins. He had three dropped passes but it looks like this is due to torn ligaments in his hand. I would think that he will be able to play but is the hand going to continue hurting his receiving skills? Celek is a great pass catching tight end who is hard to bring down in the open field. Not having him at full force takes away from the abilities of the Eagles offense.
Now more than ever, establishing a run game is very important. They have done much better the past two games running the ball than earlier this year which is good news. This is going to need to keep up in order to take some pressure of the passing game. LeSean McCoy needs to continue running the way he has and the Eagles have to feed Leonard Weaver some more carries.
Losing DeSean Jackson is not what anybody wants, but it's not the end of the world. The Eagles can compete without him and very well may have to. [http://www.BirdsFan.com]BirdsFan.com - A Philadelphia Eagles blog
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Impact-of-Losing-DeSean-Jackson&id=3349666] Impact of Losing DeSean Jackson
