Adoree’ Jackson was the subject of ridicule from Eagles fans after the season opener. But maybe the criticized cornerback is on the upswing after Sunday’s win over the Chiefs.
Jackson, who struggled against the Cowboys in Week 1, had an “improved” performance vs. the Chiefs, Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said on Tuesday.
“I thought it was improved. I thought he did some good things,” Fangio said. “Hopefully that will kickstart him into being a good corner for us.”
Fangio’s word choice would imply that Jackson was not a good corner for the Eagles prior to Sunday’s Super Bowl rematch — which, of course, is more than fair.
Jackson was signed this offseason to compete with Kelee Ringo for the open CB2 job opposite Quinyon Mitchell in nickel sets. Fangio made it clear in the summer that he didn’t push to sign the 29-year-old veteran.
Jackson won the starting job basically by default; Ringo struggled that much, and newly-acquired Jakorian Bennett needed time to acclimate.
In his Eagles debut, Jackson was bad. Dak Prescott and the Cowboys repeatedly targeted him, and CeeDee Lamb cooked him several times in coverage. Jackson allowed five catches for 103 yards, per Pro Football Focus, in the Eagles’ narrow 24-20 win over Dallas.
Jackson played better against a short-handed Chiefs offense, missing top wide receivers Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy. He allowed three catches for 26 yards on five targets.
Now, Jackson did make a mistake that went unpunished.
Late in the fourth quarter, down 20-10, Patrick Mahomes overthrew speedy receiver Tyquan Thornton for what should have been a wide-open 75-yard touchdown. Jackson, who got turned around and ran into safety Reed Blankenship, “lost his coverage,” Fangio said.
Jackson will have to avoid similar mistakes and step up this weekend against the Rams. Los Angeles boasts two top-tier receivers in Puka Nakua and Davante Adams, as well as Matthew Stafford, one of the most best QBs in the league.
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