DeSean: Eagles Are ‘Very Naive’

DeSean Jackson broke into a skip as the clock hit zero. He hopped from the sideline towards the end zone, where the mass of bodies had started to scatter after Mark Sanchez’s desperation heave hit the turf. Yapping and jumping and yapping and jumping. From skip to sprint as he found Jeremy Maclin walking onto the field. Some words and a hug for Maclin and the over to Darren Sproles, then Cary Williams and Nate Allen, then over the assistant coaches before dancing through the tunnel and out of sight.

At his locker, he spotted a Philadelphia reporter and asked, “Whatcha doin’ here? I bet you they’re over there crying. You should go back over there with them.”

The team that unceremoniously dumped him this offseason just had their playoff hopes all but crushed by the team that scooped him up, and Jackson was lapping every ounce of the moment up. He played a big part in Washington’s 27-24 upset win, hauling in four catches for 126 yards, including a pair of big strikes that went for over 50 yards with Bradley Fletcher in coverage.

Asked if he was surprised that the Eagles left him one-on-one with Fletcher, Jackson said with a laugh: “Not at all. Last year, when I had been there the last couple years, that’s how they play. They’re very naive and they play how they play. They could care less who is out there or who is at wide receiver, they’re going to play their defense the way they play it,” he said.

“That’s the Philadelphia Eagle defense. I’ve been there a lot of years and witnessed a lot of players – wide receivers, tight ends – get off on some huge games on them, and I’m just happy to be on this side and be able to send them home with a loss.”

Last week, Tony Romo took advantage of the matchup on the outside when Dez Bryant was singled up, and Robert Griffin III found similar success on Saturday. Kelly was asked what the game plan was to help limit Jackson’s deep-ball production.

“You try to get some help over the top in certain coverages and get matched up with them. We felt like our corners could stay with them and obviously they didn’t,” said Kelly.

Jackson went for over 100 yards the last time these two teams met as well. Does it make Kelly think back to decision to release him?

“No,” he said. “I’m thinking about the football game.”

Jackson was asked if he thinks the Eagles regret their decision.

“That’s a question to ask them. As far as my ex-teammates, guys out there on the field, I think a lot of them guys miss me,” he said. “They tell me that during the game. Still have good relationships with a lot them guys over there, and they constantly tell me how much they miss me and they wish I was still there. But it’s a decision they chose to make in the front office. I’m happy to be here in Washington.”

As he walked away from the interview room, Jackson was given one last chance to deliver a message to his old team.

“They going home. Tell them goodnight. Bye bye,” said Jackson, who then broke into song. “Good morning, to you! The Birds are chirping!”