DeSean Jackson Isn’t Getting On Board The Philadelphia Eagles Hype Train
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson isn’t buying into the Super Bowl hype surrounding the team right now.
The Eagles are thought to be the team who will dominate the NFL next term, and with good reason. They are expected to win more than 13 regular-season games, cruise through the NFC and see Carson Wentz named MVP – all before a single ball has been thrown. But Jackson is experienced enough to know just how unpredictable sports can be and that the most talented teams aren’t always the ones who win.
Jackson was in his first year as a pro when Philly went to the 2008 NFC Championship game and his 62-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter gave the team a crucial lead against the Arizona Cardinals. Yet he’s still yet to win a ring as he wasn’t around when they went all the way last year, having moved to the Washington Redskins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers before returning in March.
“I’ve been on very talented teams,” he said after training camp last week, per Yahoo Sports. “The mindset’s not the same [as here]. The hard work’s not the same, the composure and the mentality’s not the same. I just felt since I was here [the first time], I felt like the mentality of the culture and the mindset is different from everywhere else that I ever played. That’s what you miss.
“I think a lot of times when people label, ‘Oh, this is a Super Bowl team,’ then you’re always having to live up to that hype and that noise. So we know the goal, but we’re not going to continuously harp on it because we know it’s a long season and we know what it’s going to take to get there.”
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Jackson knows all too well how things could backfire when teams give in to the hype. In 2011, he was part of a supposed Dream Team before going 8-8. The following season saw them lose 12 games, winning just four, and he would be gone a year later.
Now, he doesn’t need the pressure and isn’t keen on seeing any labels placed on the Eagles, although it’s pretty hard to imagine them not being successful when he’s out there catching expertly directed passes from Wentz.
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While their fans expect them to win what would be their second Super Bowl in three years at the end of 2019/20, the bookmakers have the New England Patriots as the favorites to repeat the feat from the last campaign. If you’re planning on putting some money on a team or two ahead of next season. The Pats are +700.00 to win the next Super Bowl with Bet365 while the Eagles are +1400.00. The Kansas City Chiefs are also huge favorites, with Patrick Mahomes expected to have another big year, and Paddy Power is offering odds of +750.00 where their Super Bowl Chances are concerned.
The New Orleans Saints are also +750.00 with Ladbrokes while the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers are +1100.00 and +1400.00 respectively with William Hill.
The Rams are favored to come out of the NFC as Bet365 have them at +350.00 while they have the Saints at +400.00. Philly, meanwhile, is at +800.00 with Betfair.
We will have some waiting to do before finding out if any of the hype surrounding the Eagles is deserved. But Jackson doesn’t seem like it will bother him too much and his teammates would do well to follow his lead.