The chicken or the egg

For anyone who didn't get a chance to read it, there was an article a little while back asking the question "Jackson or Cruz?" The article itself wasn't what inspired this post. The comment section of this article was filled with allegations that the sub standard play of DeSean Jackson this year was because of inconsistent QB play by the Eagles, while Victor Cruz benefited from having an "Eli"te QB throwing his way. While I will agree that the Eagles passers underwhelmed this year, I would also point out that in my opinion Eli benefited more from Cruz then the other way around. This isn't about the better receiver though. This is about whether DeSean would have prospered if Vick wasn't so hot and cold this year, or if DeSean himself hurt Vick's numbers this year with his uninspired play.

via www.gcobb.com

On the surface both Vick and Jackson's stats this year were about average for what we have seen from them. Vick actually threw for a career high this year, although his INT and COMP% were both down (which we will discuss later). DeSean was down 100 yards from last year while missing a game (also to be discussed later), but did snag 11 more balls than last year. In my eyes the problem was these 2 working together were only average, while they could have accomplished so much more. In my opinion the truth is that Vick suffered more from DeSean's play this year and I will explain why.

1. Dropped balls

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We all know that while Vick wasn't as accurate this year, the amount of dropped balls were ridiculous. Eagles pass catchers accounted for a combined 33 drops, good for 5th in the league. We all saw how many of those dropped passed came at very inopportune moments in the game, with others leading to game changing turnovers. 27.7% of those drops (9) were commited by Jackson. As the "number 1" receiver in Philly, Jackson was not a very reliable target for Vick. Also of his 9 dropped passes, Atleast half were potential TD's. When you're a receiver that doesn't pull in a large amount of balls you need to make everyone count, especially in or on the way to the end zone.

2. Mental state

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Everyone saw it this year. Here's a few comments to back it up. This is a ranking of free agent WRs this year.

8. DeSean Jackson, WR, Eagles. Age: 25.
DeSean Jackson was pretty overrated until he started dropping passes and running half-hearted routes in the middle of the season. The threat of Jackson burning teams deep still has an impact on the game, but if lazy coaches would realize that the quick wideout has been pretty mediocre since suffering a second concussion against the Texans last year, they wouldn’t respect him as much.

This is from the above article comparing him to Cruz.

But there is the downside to Jackson. He is of slight build (5-10, 175 pounds maybe), is not very physical, runs sloppy routes and if he doesn’t get the ball early and often he’ll pout and lose interest in games. Maybe because his contract situation this past year affected him, Jackson was slightly off his game mentally.

And lastly a comment in an article from igglesblog.

The meager boos DeSean received yesterday were a woefully inadequate response to what he did on the field. That was the modern era's "for who, for what" game and for as much as he avoided the galvanizing post-game soundbite, he might as well get those words tattooed on his arms, since he's not doing much else with them other than bracing his falls as he crumples helplessly to the ground any time a DB comes within 10 yards of him.

So what happened? Why isn't he getting the McNabb / Schmidt / Lindros treatment? What's different about DeSean?

I think it's this: DeSean is the evolutionary Allen Iverson. Fans know he's flawed. They know he doesn't do all the things he should. They know that for all his amazing talent, for as much as he's a threat to score any time the ball touches his hands, he will always be a limited player who requires his coaches to spend as much time scheming around his weaknesses as opponents spend scheming around his strengths.There are, to be sure, differences between the two players. Iverson would have died before he'd let the threat of contact stop him from getting to the basket. DeSean is, comparatively speaking, a giant wuss. On the other hand, DeSean's never thrown his wife out of the house naked before, either, so it's definitely good news / bad news.

I'm not a professional but I would believe that a player like this, especially your number 1, would be detrimental to a QB. First off you need him to be in the games, not oversleeping and having to sit out. Ofcourse when your gameplan is centered on your #1 receiver, it will hurt the qb when he doesn't play. And when he does play you have to try to keep his head in the game. When you have the pressure of trying to keep a receiver interested it can lead to mistakes. And when you have a guy like DeSean who is mostly running deeper routes it compounds. A receiver isn't always wide open, especially when they require double coverage like DeSean does. This leads to Vick having to force the ball to him deep, a pass that is already more difficult to complete as is. Also while trying to give DeSean the time to get seperation Vick has to hold the ball longer which leads to protection break downs and more hits in the pocket. We keep saying that Vick is holding the ball to long, but how to you get it out quicker on a long developing route? And it's not easy to work the ball to him underneath because DeSean is not a fan of going over the middle, and if he does he's going down instantly. Can't blame him though because he isn't built to play like a bigger, more physical receiver. Does that mean he can't think like one sometimes? This leads me to my next point.

3. Physicallity

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DeSean hasn't been the same since that hit last year. I think it changed his approach to the game. His size makes it harder on him to take big hits. 5'10" 175 lbs soaking wet. Those are DeSean's measurables. To me this is a detriment because it limits your options offensively. There are routes he doesn't like, its harder for him to get seperation, and he's almost obsolete in the redzone. These are killers for a QB. They want to have guys that they can trust anywhere on the field. You need to get open, and keep your hands on the ball. DeSean's best physical attribute, his speed, can be nullified. When he's pressed on the LOS sometimes it's hard for him to shake free. This leads to him not getting the ball and subsequent disinterest. This is compounded in the redzone. He's almost like a wasted spot on the field. He rarely fights for the ball, or concentrates enough when he hears footsteps. Think about this. People commented that DeSean would have done better for Eli. Well lets look back at the first Giants game. Late in the game Cruz went up over our DB's and pulled in a hell of a catch. Now how many of you truly believe that DeSean would have pulled in that ball? It makes it easier on a QB when you're receiver doesn't have to be completely open for you to have faith in him coming down with the ball.

Vick wasn't a Pro Bowler this year by any means. Both he and the recievers came up short on many occasions. I don't have a problem with guys trying hard and failing on occasion, or guys with limited talent coming up short. I want to see the effort. DeSean didn't put forth the effort enough this year, and that lack of effort directly contributed to offensive ineptitude, poor redzone stats, and in my mind hampered Vick's production last year. He really needs to step it up if he believes he can be a reliable target worth millions to the Eagles.