DeSean Jackson continues monster season

I’m sure the Philadelphia Eagles aren’t kicking themselves after releasing DeSean Jackson, but I’m also sure that Jackson relished last night’s upset win to help put the Eagles playoff hopes in jeopardy. Jeremy Maclin is having a killer season in Philly, but I’d say that D-Jax has been even better this year. He’s in a less favorable offense, but he still has a higher WR Rating (QB Rating for WRs), per Pro Football Focus, than Maclin by over 15 points. In fact, the Redskins quarterback carousel has put up a 112.0 QB Rating when targeting Jackson, and that’s nothing to sneeze at; it’s a top ten mark. Jackson was equally as proficient in this stat last season, and there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s been one of the most explosive players in the league this season.

It’s unclear if the Redskins will keep Robert Griffin III going forward, though he certainly helped his cause by playing well in yesterday’s upset win. Jackson benefits significantly from RG3‘s touch on deep throws, though Kirk Cousin’s willingness to throw the deep ball also helped aid D-Jax. His 20.1 yards per reception lead the league, and there’s a pretty significant gap between Jackson and the rest of the league in YPR. Per PFF, only Mike Evans has a higher catch rate on deep passes than Jackson, meaning that he’s combining explosiveness with efficiency on those plays.

He certainly did that against the Eagles burn-prone secondary, and you would think that Chip Kelly and Billy Davis would have done a better job of planning for Jackson’s playmaking ability. He needed just six targets to record four receptions for 126 yards, averaging a whopping 31.5 yards per catch. Those 126 yards put him over 1,000 on the season, making it his fourth season over quadruple figures. His numbers across the board show that he’s been one of the top 15 receivers in the league in each of the past two seasons, and he’s established himself as the No. 1 guy over another talented wideout in Pierre Garcon. There are plenty of mouths to feed in the Redskins offense, but DeSean Jackson has to come first due to his ability to change games on just a few receptions.

Yards per target generally favors receivers who go deep, so it isn’t a surprise that Jackson, who is obviously one of the NFL’s premier deep threats, is near the top of the list. Coming into yesterday’s game, Jackson was one of two receivers with at least 11 yards per target (an incredible average), and only Kenny Stills had a higher YPT. Stills hasn’t played in his Week 16 game yet, but if you take into account Jackson’s outburst yesterday (he had exactly 21 yards per target last night), then the Redskins star would boast the league’s highest average at 11.8.

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Deep threats open up the running game and receivers underneath due to their fear factor; defenses know that they can change the complexion of a game with one lazy play on defense or one blown assignment. If RG3 can get back on track or if the Redskins can find a true franchise QB with a good enough deep ball to feed Jackson downfield (RG3 fits the latter description), then this offense should be in good hands. They have an elite TE duo, an elite WR duo, a couple of other possession receivers in Andre Roberts and Ryan Grant, an elite LT, and a true workhorse back in Alfred Morris.

The Redskins have a stacked offense, and the interesting thing is that their personnel dictate that RG3 would be their best option if he can play at a more consistent level. I mean, he can hit up Jackson deep, he has an excellent rapport with Garcon, he has safety valves in the TEs and possession receivers, and he and Morris can work with each other well in the running game. In all honesty, the Redskins are a smart signing or two on the offensive line away from having the perfect offense to surround any quarterback; there’s something for everyone.

At the same time, the Redskins should try and cater to Jackson, who has been their best player on offense this season. The numbers show that he has been the NFL’s best deep threat, and he showed us last season that he is finally capable of doing more than just being a one-trick pony; he’s now an efficient WR capable of No. 1 status. If the Redskins decide that RG3 isn’t the answer for them, then it would be a mistake for them to sign someone who doesn’t have the arm strength to test defenses with Jackson, who is truly a rare talent.

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