DeSean Jackson Explains How He Got Past the Redskins for Two Deep Touchdowns
It’s great to have Eagles game film again.
Today, Wednesday, we got the all-22 film from NFL Gamepass, which is the tape that the coaching staff uses to see the entire field as they go through a typical video session. We had two detailed quotes from DeSean Jackson post game Sunday, but it didn’t make sense to match his words to video until today, when we had clips showing the Washington cornerbacks and safeties and how they were lined up on the field.
Let’s look at the two touchdown passes, beginning with the bomb that was thrown in the second quarter:
“Actually, I wasn’t the intended receiver on that play. It was a clear route but Carson said stay alert. That play was actually intended for Alshon on the deep cross route but the way they played their coverage was like in and out. Josh Norman was outside and I was inside the slot and he was supposed to be guarding Alshon, but when I went, he took me. The safety cut down on the route and he threw the ball and I just ran at it. Great feeling.”
When DeSean says “clear route,” he’s basically just opening up space for Jeffery to get the ball on that 15-yard down and in pattern. With D Jax pulling defenders vertically, then theoretically Jeffery is open underneath. That’s the concept.
Josh Norman actually does a pretty good job at peeling off and taking DeSean, but he’s just not fast enough to keep up. Here’s a still frame of the point when Carson Wentz released the ball:
With Jackson in open space and just flying down the field, trying to keep him in front of you is pretty much a thankless task.
Here’s the second touchdown toss:
DeSean was asked afterward if he was surprised that he was open on this play:
“I am not really sure. They play a zone defense and it is different because I was in the slot and not the outside receiver. So when I was in the slot, you have a nickel corner on me and then you have a safety that tries to cut different crossing routes and just has eyes in the backfield. We knew all week, once they get into this coverage and we see them giving their signal, Carson had the opportunity to check me a couple times on a certain route and we just got it and they gave us the coverage we needed.”
Yeah, you see Wentz audible out of the original play there because he sees something he can attack.
In this case, safety Montae Nicholson has two guys passed off to him, one running a go route and the other running a deep post, and he finds himself in a 1v2 situation:
Good stuff. Good reads, good routes, good preparation and film study. We shall see how the Atlanta Falcons handle DeSean Jackson on Sunday night.