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Eagles' top receivers invisible

LANDOVER, Md. - For those who could bring themselves to read past the final score at the top of the stat sheet, there was this stunner in the wide-receivers section of the enumerated carnage:

Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin shows his frustration during the loss to the Redskins. (Ron Cortes/Staff Photographer)
Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin shows his frustration during the loss to the Redskins. (Ron Cortes/Staff Photographer)Read more

LANDOVER, Md. - For those who could bring themselves to read past the final score at the top of the stat sheet, there was this stunner in the wide-receivers section of the enumerated carnage:

DeSean Jackson: 2 catches, 5 yards.

Jeremy Maclin: 0 catches, 0 yards.

These are two of the Eagles' three big offensive weapons (along with running back LeSean McCoy, who suffered a concussion during garbage time of the team's 31-6 loss to the Washington Redskins). For Jackson and Maclin to be shut out, effectively, is to give the Eagles little chance to win a game.

Trying to figure out why it happened is the issue. Maybe it was rookie quarterback Nick Foles trying desperately to get the ball out quickly, before routes could develop. Maybe it wasn't Foles so much as the fact that the offensive line did not provide enough time for those routes to develop. Maybe it was a game-plan thing - which is not the craziest question, given that the Eagles did show a wide-open formation with about five guys lined up to run pass routes but with both Jackson and Maclin on the sideline, not among the five.

So, which?

"Just wasn't able to get it to them," Foles said. "Those guys are playmakers. We've got to be able to get them the ball. They do a lot of great things for us and they were running hard all day. As a quarterback, I've got to figure out when I get my chances, and get them the ball."

For their part, both Jackson and Maclin were diplomatic.

"If I had the idea, that wouldn't be my choice," Jackson said, when asked about how little he saw of the ball. "Maclin . . . he'll feel the same way. We just try to go out there and do whatever it is we need to do to be in the right spot at the right time. But as you can see, it is not working."

As for Maclin, and that passing formation that did not include either him or Jackson, he said, "I don't really get into all that. That's something, coach felt like we could succeed on that play. It turns out that it didn't happen. It doesn't matter who's on the field or who isn't on the field - we've still got to go out and take care of business."

" @theidlerich

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