Nick Foles Throws DeSean Jackson Open Just Before Halftime

Many times during a game, the quarterback sees the openings in a pass coverage well before the wide receiver sees them, so there are times when the quarterback will throw the ball to that opening as a way of “throwing the wide receiver open”.  That’s what happened just before the half when Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson was running a go route down the right sidelines with only nine seconds to go on the clock.

The Eagles were leading 16 to 7 with the ball on the Giants 39-yard line.  They were trying to move the ball closer to the goalline, so they could put their kicker Alex Henery in position for an easier field goal attempt rather than having him try one from the 47-yard line, which would make it a 57- yard field goal attempt.

The ball was positioned on the right hash mark and Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson was lined up on the inside of the numbers on right side of the formation against Giants cornerback Trumaine McBride.  Any corner with experience would be expecting a quick inside route, or an outside route.  The corner was lined up in press technique and at the snap of the football he got a good jam on Jackson, but the wide out countered the jam by grabbing McBride and using his momentum to sling him off of him.

This all happened in a split second before Jackson and McBride started sprinting downfield.  McBride was inside of Jackson to his left and he was running with the speedy wide receiver step for step.

While this was happening Eagles quarterback Nick Foles scanned the left side of the field, where all the rest of the receivers were lined up, but he knew that his only chance to make something happen on the play would be with Jackson on the right side.

The problem with the situation on the right side was the fact that Jackson was looking back at Eagles quarterback Nick Foles over his left shoulder on the same side where McBride was running with him step-for-step.  Foles could try to throw the ball to Jackson on that side but it would give McBride a good chance at picking it off.  The last thing he wanted was an interception before the half.

The second year quarterback did what is called “throwing the receiver open”.  He threw the football to Jackson’s right side, just inside of the sideline and assumed Jackson would be able to change from looking for the football over his left shoulder to looking for the football over the right shoulder.  It would also keep Jackson in between the football and McBride and eliminate any chance of the cornerback picking the ball off.

Throwing the ball to the right side or the sideline side would also let Jackson catch the football and run out of bounds to stop the clock with four seconds left before halftime.

The numerous decisions Foles made during those two or three seconds were the right ones, because Jackson saw him release the football, made the adjustment by shifting from looking over his left shoulder to looking over his right shoulder for the football. was right.

Foles wisely put some air under the ball, so Jackson would have time to make the adjustment.  The ball came down into Jackson’s hands on about the twenty-two yard line.  He caught the football, then ran out of bounds on the eighteen yard line.

It was a outstanding decision by Foles as well as a very accurate throw and a great adjustment and catch by Jackson.

Of course Alex Henery made the much easier 36-yard field and the Birds took a 19-7 lead.