Washington Redskins receiver DeSean Jackson returned to practice Wednesday after missing all of last week's activities.
Jackson injured the shoulder in London against the Bengals, and coach Jay Gruden said the receiver was dealing with pain in his rotator cuff. The injury proved to be bad enough that he missed last weekend's game against the Vikings. The veteran receiver is hoping to be able to play Sunday night when the Redskins play host to the Green Bay Packers.
The Redskins were able to win without Jackson last week, but make no mistake about it, they would much rather have him in the lineup. On the season, Jackson has 30 catches for 416 yards and one touchdown. Those numbers are way below where the team wanted him to be.
DeSean Jackson taking part in practice today on a limited basis. #Redskins pic.twitter.com/LXP7NYDfbg
— Brian McNally (@bmcnally14) November 16, 2016
Redskins head coach Jay Gruden spoke about Jackson earlier in the week. "W
When asked if he believes Jackson could suit up this week Gruden was direct.
Shoulder looks good here pic.twitter.com/Nh30ESTq5Z
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayCSN) November 16, 2016
Nobody takes the top off of opposing defenses quite like DJax, but it's easy to see that the Redskins have been able to get production out of the offense this season without him. Jamison Crowder has become the team's top target this year, and hasn't shown any signs of slowing down.
If the Redskins can incorporate a gameplan that includes Jackson, Crowder and Pierre Garcon, as well as tight end Jordan Reed and a successful running game, their offense will be near impossible to stop. The Redskins will need that offense to be hitting on all cylinders in the coming weeks as the competition in the NFC East heats up.