PHILADELPHIA — After hauling in a deep throw from quarterback Carson Wentz and sprinting to the corner of the end zone midway through the third quarter Sunday, Philadelphia Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson celebrated by doing a pair of forward tumbles — one for each of his 50-yard touchdowns on the day.
Jackson brought the thunder in his return to the Eagles, finishing with eight catches for 154 yards and scoring touchdowns of 53 and 51 yards in a 32-27 come-from-behind win over his former team, the Washington Redskins.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, he is the first player with multiple 50-yard receiving touchdowns in a game since Odell Beckham Jr. turned the trick in 2016 against the Ravens. It’s also the first time Jackson has caught multiple 50-yard TDs in a game. And he did it after breaking his ring finger last week.
The Eagles have been desperately searching for a deep threat since then-coach Chip Kelly unceremoniously cut ties with Jackson in March 2014. They brought in players such as Torrey Smith and Mike Wallace to stretch the field but were never able to recreate the magic that Jackson provided in his first stint in Philadelphia. So they brought him back by striking a deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in March.
The crowd roared as Jackson ran out of the tunnel during pregame introductions, spun in the air and then pounded the Lincoln Financial Field turf, offering a big welcome back to the electric receiver, who last played in an Eagles uniform in January 2014.
That excitement turned to frustration as Wentz and the offense sputtered early, allowing Washington to sprint out to a 17-0 lead. The first touchdown from Jackson got things going, as Wentz threw a perfect ball down the right seam late in the second quarter for a 51-yarder. Jackson moved into sole possession of second place for most 50-yard touchdowns in NFL history (30) on that play, and he trails only Jerry Rice (36).
He added a 53-yarder in the third quarter to put the Eagles up 21-20.
Jackson continues to punish his former teams. During his five years away from Philly, he averaged 95 yards per game and a career-best 14.23 yards per target versus the Eagles, with his team winning five of the six matchups. In two games since leaving Washington in 2017, Jackson has 13 catches for 211 yards and two TDs against the Redskins.
“They had the opportunity to keep me, I guess, and they didn’t, so I get to take out whatever it is I feel on the opponent,” Jackson said this week, explaining why he has so much success against his former teams. “I’ve always had the same mentality. That’s the fierce competitive edge that I have: Whoever I go against, whether it’s my best friend or my worst enemy, I’ve been trained and programmed to go about my business in an orderly fashion — to beat your opponent and beat him bad.”