Desean Jackson Thinks The Eagles Are Losing On Purpose

The Eagles have made fans across the Delaware Valley miserable these last several weeks. Double-digit losses top the 49ers and Cowboys. Late game collapses against the Seahawks and Cardinals. All on their way to going 1-4 these past 5 games, and falling all the way to the 5 seed. But is that all part of the plan? That is what former Eagle Desean Jackson seems to think. He joined 'Up & Adams' with Kay Adams, and claimed the Eagles are conning people ahead of the playoffs.

To be fair to DeSean, he kind of corrected himself. But no, the Eagles are obviously not losing on purpose. Nor did they take their foot off the gas or lose their edge. Do you think they went into that 49ers game or the 2nd Cowboys game not taking it seriously enough? No. What happened is their flaws got exposed. The 49ers picked on the weak parts of their defense. And then every other team followed in their footsteps.

And no, the Eagles' issue is not that they need to run the ball more. They run it more than almost anyone in the league. D'Andre Swift has the 8th most carries in the NFL. They will finish the year with around 20 fewer rushes than they had last year. But the only reason they have run it less is they have had fewer leads. Last year they would at times only run it in the second half because they were so far ahead. This year they have been either close or trailing in every game. Despite that, They still run the ball at a very high rate.

Did they get away from the run in a couple of games? Sure. But their bigger problem on offense is just not executing. Both in the passing and the running game. There were games where they just ran the ball poorly. With all of their O-Line healthy again, they seem to have gotten back to running it well. And with that, they have been more balanced again. But running the ball more is not going to make this offense any better.

There are fans who really want to believe what Desean Jackson said here. That this is a team that can just flip a switch and get back to who they were in 2022. But the truth is, this is who they are. They are a talented offense that has underperformed, and their defense is just bad. The fix is not as simple as running the ball, or just snapping out of it. If they are going to win, it will be because the talented offense takes over and they start putting up big numbers. Because this defense is definitely not good enough to stop the teams they will face deeper into the playoffs.

The Philadelphia Eagles suffered their worst loss of their NFL season in Week 17 against the Arizona Cardinals. A tight victory over the New York Giants didn't inspire too much hope, and the team responded with the worst loss of the Nick Sirianni era. The Eagles hope to have key starters like Zach Cunningham back on the field in Week 18 for the final game of the regular season.

It wasn't pretty at Lincoln Financial Field on New Year's Eve. The Eagles are reeling with four losses in five games. The optimism of a 10-1 team has disappeared quickly.

Nobody can confidently say the Eagles have any momentum heading into the playoffs. They have struggled with the same weaknesses throughout the 2023 season, and their recent opponents have exposed their flaws brutally.

A.J. Brown spoke confidently about the direction of the team on Wednesday. He insisted that the team still believes in Sirianni, the rest of the coaching staff, and each other. However, his words carry no weight until the fans see the Eagles improve their performance on the field.

Darius Slay will likely miss his fourth consecutive game after an arthroscopic knee surgery. Kelee Ringo was the primary fill-in on the outside for the injured Pro Bowl cornerback. Zach Cunningham was a full participant in Thursday's practice. He should provide relief to a struggling defense that desperately needs it.

DeVonta Smith is nursing an ankle injury suffered in the fourth quarter against the Cardinals. The Eagles need him for a potential playoff run, and he'll likely sit out Sunday.

Nick Sirianni will weigh the option of resting his starters against the Giants. The Dallas Cowboys can clinch the NFC East with a victory against the Washington Commanders. There's a good chance the Eagles will not face any seeding consequences with a loss.

Quarterback, #1
Oklahoma University/University of Alabama
4th NFL Season- Drafted in 2nd Round (53rd overall) in 2020

Running Back, #0
University of Georgia
4th NFL season- Acquired in a trade from Detroit Lions (April 2023)

Wide Receiver, #11
Ole Miss
5th NFL season- Acquired in a trade from Tennessee Titans (April 2022)

Wide Receiver, #80
University of Alabama
13th NFL Season, Signed in Free Agency (October 2023)

Wide Receiver, #13
University of Virginia
5th NFL Season, Signed in Free Agency (April 2023)

Tight End, #88
South Dakota St.
6th NFL Season- Drafted in 2nd Round (48th overall) in 2018

Left Tackle, #68
Jeff Stoutland University
6th NFL Season- Drafted in 7th Round (233rd overall) in 2018

Left Guard, #69
University of Alabama
3rd NFL Season- Drafted in 2nd Round (37th overall) in 2021

Center, #62
University of Cincinnati
13th NFL Season- Drafted in 6th Round (191st overall) in 2011

Right Guard, #51
University of Nebraska
2nd NFL Season- Drafted in 2nd Round (51st overall) in 2022

Left Tackle, #69
Oklahoma University
11th NFL Season- Drafted in 1st Round (4th overall) in 2013

Defensive End, #94
Florida State
6th NFL Season- Drafted in 4th Round (130th overall) in 2018

Defensive Tackle, #91
Mississippi State
12th NFL Season- Drafted in 1st Round (12th overall) in 2012

Defensive Tackle, #90
University of Georgia
2nd NFL Season- Drafted in 1st Round (13th overall) in 2022

Edge Rusher/Linebacker, #7
Temple University
7th NFL Season- Signed in Free Agency (March 2022)

Linebacker, #52
Vanderbilt University
7th NFL Season- Signed in Free Agency (August 2023)

Linebacker, #50
South Carolina St.
6th NFL Season, Signed in Free Agency (December 2023)

Cornerback, #22
University of Georgia
1st NFL Season, Drafted in 4th Round (105th Overall) in 2023

Cornerback, #24
University of Arkansas/Samford University
8th NFL Season- Signed in Free Agency (May 2022)

Cornerback, #29
University of Pittsburgh
Drafted in 4th Round (125th overall) in 2018

Safety, #31
Middle Tennessee State
8th NFL Season, Acquired in trade from Tennessee Titans (October 2023)

Safety, #32
Middle Tennessee State
2nd NFL Season- Signed as Undrafted Free Agent (May 2022)