~~The relationship between a quarterback and his receivers is one of penultimate importance. Similar to the bond of pitcher and catcher, each team’s offensive destiny is decided by the compatibility of these vital pieces. Nowhere will the bond of pass catcher gunslinger be more prevalent to a teams’ success in 2014 than Washington.
New Head Coach Jay Gruden left his post as offensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals to become skipper of the Washington Redskins, and in turn inherited a porous defense, underperforming offense, and one beacon of hope. Robert Griffin III has yet to prove if he is the savior Washington so desperately hopes for, but his relationship with free agent acquisition DeSean Jackson will go a long way in determining the success of Griffin III and the 2014 Washington Redskins.
So what exactly does the three time pro bowl wide receiver bring to Griffin III and his new Redskins teammates? A former second-round pick out of California, Jackson’s best season as a professional was his most recent when he set personal records of 82 receptions, 1332 yards, and tied his career high with 9 receiving touchdowns. While Jackson’s 2013 production was likely a product of Chip Kelly’s system, Jay Gruden is no stranger in terms of changing water into wine when it comes to his offensive playmakers.
In Cincinnati Gruden helped Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton improve in each of his first three seasons with the team, with the pinnacle of his success to date the 2013 season. Under Gruden, Dalton tossed 33 touchdowns with 4293 yards with a 61.9 completion percentage. While Griffin III has never played more than 15 games in a professional season, he did eclipse the 3200 yard passing mark in both of his first two years, and averaged a 62.7 pass completion rate over that span. Desean Jackson is no A.J. Green but still provides a tremendous talent across from Washington’s receiving leader from a year ago, Pierre Garcon.
A blazingly fast receiver, Jackson is also a tremendous talent in the punt return game totaling four scores in his career. Be it in the return game or spread out wide, Jackson is a home run threat every time he touches the ball. In 87 games as a professional, the former Eagle has scored 36 touchdowns, caught 357 passes for 6128 yards, and will continue to be a spark on whatever offense he finds himself in.
Expecting a similar output from Jackson in 2014 with his most-recent campaign would be a bit of a stretch, regardless the Redskins added a dynamic talent for Griffin III to play with. The tandem of Jackson and Garcon is one of the quickest in football, and will prove nightmarish for opposing coordinators all season long. A fun offense to watch is budding in the nation’s capital, and Desean Jackson will be a big time contributor as part of it.