Jackson Says He’s Returning Punts
Desean Jackson has hit Brian Westbrook-like status in this regard: He’s so explosive that you want to use him in any situation you can, yet so valuable that you don’t want to overuse him, thereby increasing the chance of injury.
This is where the issue of punt return duties comes in.
The Eagles only used Westbrook consistently at returner for one season – in 2003, the year he famously returned one to the house against the Giants late in the fourth quarter to turn the Eagles’ season around. He returned no more than eight punts in any season for the rest of his career in Philadelphia.
Jackson has totaled 79 returns over the past two seasons alone and heads into Sunday’s game as the primary return man once again.
“They tried to give other people opportunities to go out there and do it, but I guess it didn’t work out,” said Jackson, “so they still want me to do it. That’s something I’ve always loved to do, so I’m just going to keep doing what I do.”
The difference between Westbrook and Jackson’s situation should be noted. Westbrook was getting many more touches throughout the game. His workload was higher, and therefore his opportunities to make an impact. Jackson does not have the ball in his hands nearly as much.
The desire to get the Jackson more touches, though, has to be weighed against the dangers of fielding punts. The third-year wide receiver has a slight frame, and it’s not always possible to avoid full-charging gunners. Vulnerability is part of the equation.
Watching Jackson leave the field with a back injury against the Chiefs this preseason sent a reminder of just how quick things can go bad.
“The only thing I can say is sometimes it can get tiring going right from punt return straight to offense, but I don’t really worry about the injury part,” said Jackson. “Playing football is a risk every time you go out on the field.”
Eagles Not Happy With Graham Tweet
Tweetin’ ain’t easy.
Brandon Graham got an earful from the authorities – that’d be Andy Reid – after word got out that he did a little trash-talking in the direction of Aaron Rodgers via his Twitter account. Over the Labor Day weekend, Graham wrote: “I cant wait to whisper something in Aaron Rodgers ear…..SACK!!!!!!”
On Wednesday he took it a step further. “You have to have fun out there. You gotta dream about taking him down,” said Graham, “and I’m dreaming about taking him down two or three times. I want to be a factor in the game – the whole game – and continue to get to the ball.”
Rodgers seemed to let it roll off his back when he spoke with Philadelphia reporters Wednesday, but Graham’s coach wasn’t amused. Following a meeting with Andy Reid, Graham realized he had to tone it down. “I guess I was a little overboard,” said Graham, “but that’s just me having passion for the game. It won’t happen again. I told Coach Reid that I’m going to settle it out on the field, and we just go from there.”
Follow Tim McManus on Twitter (@Tim_McManus) and contact him at tmcmanus@phillysportsdaily.com.
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