After starting the season with a six-catch, 102-yard performance against the St. Louis Rams, DeSean Jackson managed only two catches in each of the Eagles' subsequent games, combining for only 51 yards in those games - both, perhaps not coincidentally, losses.
Jackson, though, doesn't thing an offensive turnaround lies in getting him the ball. Rather, the team just needs to find a way to make explosive plays, regardless of who provides them, and to clean up the mistakes.
"I think we just need to get back to doing what we do, play football, move around fast, stay away from shooting ourselves in the foot, penalties, false starts, interceptions, turnovers, things like that," Jackson said. "I think as long as we do that, we'll be back to playing Eagle football."
As for why he's been relatively quiet on the field of late, Jackson said the focus of opposing defenses is often to limit his production.
"It's just respect," he said. "I think a lot of defenses are not going to let us just run past them and do the things we're great at doing. We've just got to find a way to make plays somehow underneath. If every team's going to be 35 yard back underneath, we've just got to do things to make them play honest. During the week when we watch film, we see these teams playing against other teams and they don't show the same thing they show us. So we've just got to find it within ourselves.
"I'm one of 10 other players, so it's not going to always go my way, it's not going to always call my number. So I just have to help out whatever it is to help my team win."
Alongside winning, Jackson added that he remains focused on staying healthy. After all, he can't help the team from the bench.
"As long as I'm healthy and we're winning, regardless of my numbers, I'll be very happy," Jackson said. "I don't think you can go on the field and say I'm going to stop myself from getting hurt. I think you have to go on the field and leave it on the line and hopefully I'll be protected by the man above. Every time I step on the field I leave it all on the line and I'll never go out there and try to hold anything back because that's how people get hurt."
Facing off against a 49ers defense that is one of the best in the league against the run (San Francisco has allowed 2.94 yards per rush, second best in the league), the Eagles may need to turn to the passing attack. Whatever the means, Jackson says the Eagles need to come away with a victorious outcome on Sunday.
"We're 1-2. We're home," he said. "We lost the first game at home so I think it's about that time right now for us to get (a win)."
