How many concussions can DeSean Jackson sustain before the NFL’s doctors have to shut him down? You can tell by the attention that’s being given to concussions, that in the near future the doctors are going to draw a line in the sand with regard to concussions.
At some point and it’s coming soon, they’re going to have a standard test which will decide whether you’ve sustained too many concussions to continue to play in the NFL. Now isn’t the time for Jackson, but you can be sure if he continues to sustain head injuries, that time is coming.
This is two years in a row for Jackson but nobody is shocked by it because he weighs about 170 pounds and is catching passes over the middle of defenses where 260-pound linebackers patrol. If I were the Birds I would try to restrict the areas where I threw Jackson the ball.
Regardless, the diminutive wide receiver has been cleared, so he’s back for now.
“It took me a couple of tries before I could pass,” Jackson said. “It seems so simple, but they make you do things you haven’t really done since middle school, stuff with shapes and geometry. It gets a little irritating.”
Jackson says all the right things.
“That’s always first, my health”, the Eagles receiver said yesterday. “I’ll definitely worry about that. I’m not just going to run back out there if I’m not healthy enough to go out there and be the same receiver that I’m able to be. That’s what we’re trying to figure out also.”
But will he be able to resist comments from his teammates talking about how much they need him back out there. Here’s how Michael Vick answered a question yesterday about Jackson possibly coming back on Sunday.
“Well, I would hope so” Vick responded. “If DeSean comes back and plays, I expect him to do great things—do what he’s capable of doing within a football game.”
After hearing Jackson talk about the concussion, you can see that doctors are going to be forced to protect players from themselves.
When asked about how the hit which Dunta Robinson put on him would affect him when he took the field again, DeSean Jackson isn’t going to let it dominate his thinking.
“As a football player, you can’t really worry about how hard you get hit or what happens on the field,” Jackson said. “You’ve just got to go out there and hopefully you don’t get too injured or whatever the case may be. It’s just a part of the game we play. So I’ll just go out there and keep doing what I do.”
It sounds like Jackson will continue to return to the field after concussions until somebody stops him. How long will he be able to recover and return to action?
I also wonder whether Joe Banner and the Eagles front office will give him a long-term contract if he sustains another concussion before the season is over. You and I know the Eagles are not going to knowingly invest millions in a guy who can’t stay on the field. This will be a story worth watching.
If he sustains another concussion this year, you would have to assume he gets shut down for the rest of the season, regardless off baseline testing results. That would be 3 severe brain traumas in under 14/15 months? At this rate, he never makes it to a 2nd contract, with the Eagles or anybody else.
I say No,
As far as getting a long-term contract from the Eagles, I think the Eagles Front Office will be leary of giving him true #1 WR type of $$$ due to his durability issues. The other big thing is what are the Eagles going to do with their QB moving forward.. IF Vick plays well over the next few weeks (which I think he will) then Eagles sign him and make sure D-Jax is around to play with him.. If Vick does not perform well or gets injured again, then the Eagles may decide to go with Kolb for the future which means D-Jax touches and ultimately his impact on the team, would be lessen where then I can see the team possibly trading him since he wouldn’t fit the Eagles Offense which would change under QB Kolb..
Follow the $$$, in this case, follow who will be the future QB of the Eagles and that most likley will
determine D-Jax future status on the team besides the health issues..
Being friends with a former NFL safety who played 8 years made millions of dollars and is now close to broke, I would suggest DJax get paid as soon as possible, hire a reputable(long track record of success) finance manager and get as much endorsement money as possible. Then call it a day. Of course the desire to play and produce is so strong because that’s all many players can do.
Get a NFL highlight studio job, or invest in real estate(low cost single family hud homes). Or invest in the next bubble which is “going green”. How to football training dvds in markets like CA, TX, PA & OK. Everybody wants their boy to be an all-america. Tips from a two position all-pro would fly off the shelf.
G loves callin D-jacks diminutive.
He’ll get a new contract when he comes back and continues too slice secondaries up. Look he’s a lil dude…but his ability is undeniable.Look at his concussions…Flether kneed him in his head,Robinsion clocked him cause Kolb hung him out too dry,and the KC preseason game wasnt a concusion i dont believe. Point is his hits coulda happened too Andre Johnson….and since he’s a lil dude its bigged up. I agree they need too get the ball too him in space, fly routes,deep in’s,and things of the sort. If they dont give him a new deal weres that leave the recieving core going forward? Maclin can be the man i believe…put Cooper on the other side or draft another burner? But burners are usually smaller dudes? So just use caution in how your getting him the rock.
indy is seriously knicked up. Mathis might not be a go..i think its lip service that he’s gonna suit up. On the grass and elements might be a factor.Im feeling a dub Birdbrains.
Not big enough and not serviceable in Reid’s system to warrant the type of money he will demand.
Or keep smoking db’s and watch the film on dvd’s labeled…WHO GOTHCA!!?BY PEANUT.
We’re tryna get too a ship…the talk of investing in real estate and low cost hud homes bro? COME ON!!!Tell your former NFL safety bro too go too basic cable,start getting the cheap cheese,and stop goin too Starbucks…brew his own.
Let’s just use the hypothetical situation and Vick plays poorly the rest of this 2010 Season and the Eagles decide to let him walk and theb have Kolb as the #1 QB for 2011 and beyond
Would anyone go for a Trade with the Raiders after the Season
D-Jax straight up for CB Asmogoah..
Yes or someone else with equal value
No…because there not gonna pay two corners high dollars. Sante will be hear next year…his tackling has improved and he is a ballhawk.Always with the scenarios of getting Raiders players….lol…P-domis.
Dude gets cracked one time this year and you guys have him on the block…not being re-signed. What are you gonna be saying when he starts scoring long td’s again?
I mean he isn’t gonna get Andre Johnson $…but I’m sure he’ll be paid accordingly
D-jax would probably have a longer and still impactful career if he was on the field for about 30 plays a game (instead of 60) and still get him the ball 8-10 times a game..
My only beef with him is that he doesn’t block or do much positive on rushing plays, and when he’s not the primary/secondary receiver on a call, he seems to run at only 3/4 speed and not sell
his route at 100% (ala Randy Moss)
P-man…the guy must be pretty damn good if your only beef with a reciever is his blocking. The guy is 175 pounds soakin wet…he will surely be headed for more concussions if you want him concentrating on blocking in the NFL. Let him spread the defense with his speed to stay healthy and leave the blocking to the other 10 guys.
He is a excellent WR but not an everydown WR in my book for the things I mentioned..
Would you rather have him on the field for 30-35 plays and have him make 4-5 big plays a game over the next 6-7-8 years or do you want him on the field 60-65 plays a game and make 6-8 big plays a game for maybe the next 2-3 years … That’s what it get’s down to…
just read where he plans to wear a special helmet that is supposed to reduce head trama. The NFL helmets are made by Riddel but DJax ‘s will be a Schutt model.
He can be a gamebreaker but Mancini is correct about his durability. And that reduces his serviceability in Reid’s west coast, short timing routes, as a replacement for the run. He is just not a good fit for this system as it is supposed to be executed.
As exciting as DJax is I agree with PM. He should be the punt returner and get in on 5 or 6 more catches a game. Maclin will end up being out #1 WR while Jackson should be sprinkled in for a few bombs and reverses. He also doesn’t quite fit the WC. Dude has got only a big hit or 2 left before he enters Eric Lindros/Marc Savard territory living in his bedroom with the lights off all day.
Whaaaaa! Stop it, Jax is a damn good WR, in fact he is a damn scary WR, until that day (Which always comes) when he is neither, we keep him. Damn we cry for WR’s and when we get some we macro their flaws and try to trade em out. I like our WR corp, don’t F it up by getting cute fellas.
I say we keep Vick, convince Kolb that he is the greatest backup of all time, sure up our oline and keep this train rolling for seasons to come. It really is that simple boys.
Play ball, its time to think Colts, if you have any good Karma set it aside treat it nice and unleash that baby one second into the first quarter, so the Colts don’t even get a chance to feel like they can win it.
Is anyboy with me on this? Yes? Well then hell enjoy the coming victory, the 5-3 record and leave my damn WR’s, QB’s, Def, alone and lets roll.
Eagles win this game, you heard it here first, and if they don’t win I never said a word.
Uh, as always LONG LIFE THE EAGLES
Vinne, I like what you to a degree, makes sense good thought brother. I would play him a wee more than you but hey goodlook.
DJAX should not be the punt returner! you want to see him get hurt, its more likely to occur with him returning punts. You need DJAX on the field to get double teams, his presence on the football is very important in the Eagles passing game…He’s the most explosive receive the Eagles have had since TO…you dont waste that on the sideline! If you guys have been watching with Vick, we dont have a normal west coast offense…The system is no longer the same!
if you minimize the amount of times he’s on the field…its safe to say you limit his effectiveness! you never know what play will be a big play!
No doubt he is the most explosive. But he has been knocked out 2x. Hes got one or 2 more of those max.
That last collision wasn’t a little ding that required the smelling salts. That was a truck collision (and the helmet did hit his facemask). His brain went from moving full speed forward to backward. I can only imagine the damage his brain took as it sloshed back and forth in his skull.
You may wonder why hockey players like Bergeron, Savard, Lindross etc seem more effected by concussions is because they are often more severe based upon the velocity of the impact. The desean hit was of extreme velocity. Every concussion increases the propensity to suffer another one.
You want to see limited effectiveness? Well, htiviness is going to be severely limited if he gets his bell rung again and spends the next year throwing up every time he tries to get out of bed.
you guys are talking about having him return punts, what are his chances of getting his bell rung on special teams? equally as great in my opinion…This is football, if the man is cleared to play, then he should play, he should not be held back! How about play calling, let him get down the sideline, deep slants etc…..Or how about balls not thrown softly to him…You do not put the most explosive weapon on the sideline for half of the offensive snaps…what the hell sense does that make? he can get hit again playing a limited role that you guys are suggesting, its football…every play is a chance of injury…its either 100% or nothing at all, it is that simple!
Because he’ll only actually return punts 4 or 5x a game. At least half will be fair caught. Then 5 or 6 more receptions. Otherwise, I don’t think you’re going to see him in a football uni in a few yrs.
He’s got be used correctly. Obviously his speed is his strength and his size is his liability. He’s Todd Pinkston on steroids. With Vick under center, Jackson has his best chance to produce, and, hopefully, stay out of harm’s way.
We’ve got receivers to go across the middle and to run the reverse and bubble screen, but I don”t think Jackson shouldn’t be used in that way.
Ray Didinger’s article on Vick. It’s a bit revealing on how teams have defensed him, thus far.
There really was no choice. The Eagles are going back to Michael Vick as their starting quarterback as they should. He gives them the best chance to win now and in a woefully-weak NFC, winning now is the way to go.
It doesn’t mean the Eagles have written off Kevin Kolb, nor does it mean he played poorly. He had some good moments, but given where the Eagles are right now, Vick is the better option.
It comes down to two issues. First, Vick poses more problems for the defense and, second, he makes the players around him better. The two go hand-in-hand.
With Vick at quarterback, teams must respect not only his ability to run with the ball, but his ability to throw it deep. We always knew Vick had a strong arm – he can throw a ball 40 yards with a flick of the wrist – but he was not a great passer because he didn’t have the accuracy or discipline. He has been much improved in those areas this year.
A great example was the Detroit game, in Week 2, his first start at quarterback since 2006. The Lions expected Vick to be rusty so they went after him with an all-out blitz. They thought they would either trap him in the pocket or flush him out and chase him down. They counted on him being a flat-footed version of the old Mike Vick. He wasn’t that at all.
In fact, in terms of playing the quarterback position, he was better. On one play when the Lions blitzed, Vick saw it and spun away, but instead of running, he kept his eyes down the field and threw a perfect pass to rookie Riley Cooper for a 20-yard gain.
Any defensive coordinator watching that tape had to think: “Uh oh, this is not the guy we saw in Atlanta.”
Clearly, it influenced the team the Eagles played next. Jacksonville did not blitz Vick. Instead, the Jaguars tried mixing up their coverage but he defeated that, too. When the Jags played a two-deep, man-under coverage, Vick saw the defenders with their backs turned, tucked the ball away and ran for a 17-yard touchdown.
After that, the Jags assigned a spy to Vick, one defender whose sole responsibility was to shadow Vick and discourage him from running. The trouble with that strategy is it keeps one defender floating around the line and that’s one less defender in pass coverage. Vick took advantage of that, passing for 291 yards and three touchdowns.
It is no coincidence DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy had their best games when Vick was under center. When teams blitz, they usually play man coverage so Jackson is free of the double teams that smother him in other games. He had nine catches for 278 yards, a 31 yard average, against Detroit and Jacksonville. McCoy had his best game against the Lions (16 carries, 120 yards, three touchdowns) because they played their ends wide to contain Vick. That opened running lanes inside for McCoy.
Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg have done a remarkable job of reinventing Vick. I didn’t think it was possible. When they signed Vick, I didn’t understand it. He wasn’t going to beat out Donovan McNabb, not after being away from the game for two years, and the Eagles had invested two years in grooming Kevin Kolb as their quarterback of the future. I didn’t see where Vick fit.
I never was a fan of the Wildcat. I thought it was a novelty act that soon would wind up on the scrap heap next to the run-and-shoot and if that’s all Vick had to offer, well, that wasn’t much. But Reid and Mornhinweg schooled Vick in the West Coast offense and it appears he was a more willing pupil than he was earlier in his career because he is doing things now that he didn’t do before.
A 53 percent career passer is now completing passes at a 61 percent rate. A guy who couldn’t get the ball to his wideouts in Atlanta is now hitting them consistently. Is it really possible that a guy who was away from the game for two years could come back at age 30 and be a better quarterback than he was at 25? It defies logic, but who’s to say what’s logical in this bizarre season?
The question is can Vick keep it going? We’re basing a lot on two and a half games, most of it played against defenses that rank near the bottom of the NFL. Now that teams have more tape to study and a clearer picture of what Vick can do, he will see a lot of different schemes. Can he play consistently against stiffer competition? Also, can he avoid injury? Those are legitimate questions yet to be answered.
People are looking down the road and asking what the Eagles will do at the end of the season. Will they re-sign Vick? Will they let him go and turn back to Kolb? Will they trade Kolb? It all depends on how things unfold over the next nine weeks.
If Vick picks up where he left off in September and plays at the same level, or close to it, I think the Eagles will re-sign him and he’ll be their quarterback in 2011 (assuming there is a season in 2011, pending a potential lockout). Kolb probably would request a trade at that point and given the state of quarterbacking in the NFL, the Eagles wouldn’t have much trouble finding a taker.
Of course, if things go badly and Vick is wildly inconsistent or suffers another injury, it is a whole different scenario.
“These are the nine biggest games of Mike Vick’s career,” NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger said.
I never thought of it that way, but it is probably true. Depending on how things play out, Vick could be either the hottest free agent on the market or he could be damaged goods. His whole future is riding on the next nine games. That, plus the Eagles chances of making the playoffs, that’s all.
Great stuff DRummer,
We are on the same page about the importance of the next 9 games for not only the Team this year
but the Future of the Eagle Offense, and obviously the futures of QB’s Vick and Kolb ..
I think Vick has only about the next 6 weeks to really shine and cement his spot as the true #1 QB moving forward.. If Eagles and Vick don’t play well offensively and are somehow out of Playoff contention with 2-3 games left (which I don’t anticipate) then I think Kolb plays at the end of Season to prepare for 2011 and beyond. But Vick clearly has his destiny in his own control right now which must be a great feeling for him considering all he’s been through the last couple of seasons.. The Key will be patience and playing smart football and recognize what the defenses and coverages are doing and take what they give you and protect the ball and take the deep shots when it’s called for…
I think he’s up for the challenge… Let’s Go Eagles..
PM
I agree.
Drummer:
That was about the most lucid, coherent analysis of the quarterback situation that I have read. Great post
Jakedog, Maybe because it was written by a real sports journalist you dumbass
Regardless, and I didn’t see the quotations, it is the best analysis of the quarterback situation I have read. If Drummer incorporates it as his own thoughts, then still kudos to him for posting. What do you say Birdo?
Drummer- Thanks for posting R Diddy. That was a great analysis of our situation. With the relative weakness of the NFC, there is no reason that we cannot make a run with the team we have and worry about the future later.
Hell, with the threat of a work stoppage next year we should really only focus on this year anyway.
I wonder if ALI would rather have his senses and health or the millions he earned. As much as we love it, it’s just a game.
At his size concussions aren’t his only worry
Save him for 3-4 receiver sets where he is a deep or middle depth sideline receiver