DETROIT --You just knew DeSean Jackson couldn't be kept quiet for that long.
For those who were looking for Jackson's dynamic, explosive offensive plays, Sunday certainly didn't disappoint. Jackson hauled in four catches for 135 yards including his first touchdown of the season in Sunday's roller-coaster 35-32 win over the Lions.
"Honestly, as a team, that wasn't the perfect game. We struggled. We made some bad plays, a lot of penalties and things like that," Jackson said. "It wasn't pretty, but we took the win. Anything we need to do to get the win is what we need to do. Being 0-1 after losing the first game, we needed to do everything and anything to get this win."
In just two-plus NFL seasons, Jackson already has eight 100-yard receiving games. And while Sunday's score from 45 yards out wasn't quite as long as the eight from 50-plus he had in 2009, Jackson got the Eagles off to a fantastic start. Lined up to the left of the formation on the Eagles' opening drive, Jackson ran a 12-yard stick route and sat in zone coverage. Michael Vick delivered the ball and from there Jackson was off to the races. The safeties - Louis Delmas and C.C. Brown - took bad angles and had no chance. Jeremy Maclin held up a nice block downfield for the final yards to put the Eagles ahead 7-0.
"I think that's my role here, to create big plays and spark the energy on our team. That's something I've been able to do since my rookie year," Jackson said. "I'm just fortunate and blessed to be able to go out there and make the plays that I'm able to make."
While he didn't score the rest of the game, Jackson played the role of maitre d' and set up his teammates nicely. On the go-ahead drive in the second quarter, Jackson lined up to the left and went down the middle of the field where Vick connected with him perfectly for a 53-yard gain. Four plays later, Vick hit Maclin for a 9-yard touchdown to give the Eagles a 17-14 lead.
In the third quarter, as the Eagles tried to distance themselves from the Lions, the Eagles faced a third-and-14 from their own 31-yard line. Vick escaped from trouble and found Jackson open down the right sideline for 29 yards. The Eagles later punched the ball in with a 4-yard score by LeSean McCoy.
"It was a big catch for me and a big throw for him to be able to get out of the pocket and still be able to fit the ball inside the Cover 2," Jackson said of Vick's big third-down play. "I just saw some of his versatility and the things he's able to do."
With the way the Lions rallied in the game's final minutes, the Eagles needed every ounce of production from Jackson. Good thing he brought plenty to the game on Sunday.
-- Posted by Chris McPherson, 11:10 p.m., September 19
