The optimism seems to be legitimate this time.
Speaking Wednesday at the NovaCare Complex, Eagles head coach Doug Pederson said that receiver DeSean Jackson would take part in practice this week, the first time since he will do so such suffering an abdomen injury in the team's Week 2 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
"DeSean has been looking really good, he's been working really hard through his rehab," Pederson said. "I expect to get him into practice a little bit today and see where he is at. But I am optimistic obviously, and we'll take it day-by-day."
How much Jackson is able to do at practice, and how he feels after, is obviously going to be key in determining if he plays against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. The fact the team has a Bye Week after is also likely going to play into the decision. The team could decide that having the Bye Week will give Jackson extra time to get closer to 100%, or they could view it as giving him more time to recover from playing vs. Chicago.
Whether Jackson plays isn't completely clear yet, but it is very clear how much the team needs him.
Although his absence is not the only reason, the passing game has been a mess since Jackson left the field vs. Atlanta. Not only has the team not been able to get anything going down the field, they have struggled to simply move the ball through the air at all. Quarterback Carson Wentz and the passing game have totaled under 200 yards in four-of-the-last-five games and have had to lean on the running game. The running game was able to carry them to wins against Green Bay and Buffalo, but the team's inability to get anything going through the air played a big role in their blowout losses to Minnesota and Dallas.
After the front office decided not to do anything at the trade deadline to help the offense, they are hoping that Jackson can be the missing piece. His impact on offense was clear in Week 1 when he totaled 154 yards and two touchdowns on eight catches.
The Eagles are hoping he can pick up right back where he left off this Sunday against Chicago.
For the first time since he was injured, there seems to be a real chance that will happen.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
