Chip Kelly didn't feature DeSean Jackson prominently in the Eagles offensive attack on Sunday, but the wide receiver still made team history in the win over Arizona. Image:Philly.com
DeSean Jackson entered some rarefied air in Philadelphia Eagles franchise history on Sunday.
In the second quarter of the Eagles 24-21 win over the Arizona Cardinals, Jackson hauled in a pass for a 25-yard gain which was 24 more yards than he needed to surpass the 1,000 yard plateau for the third season.
Only Mike Quick and Harold Carmichael have posted three or more 1,000 yard receiving campaigns in Eagles franchise history.
“He’s been fantastic all year long,” Chip Kelly said about Jackson. “He’s worked extremely hard in everything we’ve asked him to do, from OTAs to the offseason to every day in practice. What we’re seeing on the field is really what time he’s invested.”
This season has been one of Jackson's best in his professional career. The University of California product already has 1,021 yards, 61 catches and seven touchdowns. The Eagles single-season receiving record is 1,409 yards, which is well within Jackson's reach with four gaes remaining.
One of the reasons for Jackson's continued success this season has been the emergance of a viable second option for quarterback Nick Foles in the form of Riley Cooper.
Against Arizona, Cooper actually surpassed Jackson in terms of playing time. The University of Florida product saw the field for 78 snaps to Jackson's 66.
Cooper posted three receptions for 48 yards and one highlight reel one-handed grab.
“Riley [Cooper] and Desean [Jackson] have been huge playmakers all year," rookie tight end Zach Ertz said afterwards. "We had to have a big day today to take the pressure off other team’s game planning against them. They’re both incredible talents at wide [receiver], so [the tight ends] needed to take control of the middle of the field.”
For the season Cooper has made the most of his rapport with Foles and increased playing time, posting 34 receptions for 640 yards and seven touchdowns.
While Jackson was far from the focal point of Kelly's game plan on Sunday afternoon, the combination of he, Cooper and the tight ends gave a glimpse of a multi-faceted offensive attack that could very well propel the Eagles through the final four games of the regular season and beyond.
Matt Lombardo is the Editor-In-Chief of Eagledelphia and also an on-air personality on 97.5 FM The Fanatic in Philadelphia. Join the conversation and follow Matt on Twitter.
