Can Jackson bounce back in 2018? – Daniel Beebe

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When the Buccaneers signed wide receiver DeSean Jackson anticipation for the upcoming year skyrocketed. How could the Buccaneers not make it to the playoffs? They have a quarterback on the brink of greatness, a defense that ended on a high note, and now DeSean Jackson. We can’t lose…..right?

DeSean Jackson had a sub-par year for the Buccaneers in his first year of the new contract. In 2017, Jackson had 50 receptions, 668 yards, and 3 touchdowns.  The lack of touchdowns are not entirely Jackson’s fault; The run game has to be better in order for Jackson to take the top off the defense. Lack of consistency in the run game makes Winston, Evans, and Jackson’s jobs a lot harder.

Will he have a bounce back year in 2018? I believe so. Doug Martin will be a thing of the past after his debacle of a season in 2017. Peyton Barber played in 11 games this past season. He rushed in 10 of those games and only had double-digit carries in 6 games. In the last 5 games, he handled the bulk of carries for the Buccaneers. The other problem for Jackson was that Tampa Bay had Pro Bowl receivers in Mike Evans and Cameron Brate. They drafted O.J. Howard, as well. The last time I checked, there is only one football to go around. On top of all that, Jameis’ injury hurt Jackson’s production because Fitzpatrick couldn’t figure out how to throw a deep ball very well.

Look for Jackson to have a huge 2018 season, with Jameis getting healthier and growing into the quarterback we all know he is capable of being. These guys will spend the off-season becoming more cohesive as an offense. There will be no distractions like Hard Knocks or hurricanes in 2018. The Buccaneers were playing well during 2017 preseason, but when the hurricane hit, the starters had a huge layoff. My prediction is Jackson will have 1,000+ yards, 70+ receptions, and 8-10 touchdowns in 2018. He is too good to be held down for multiple seasons.

 

Edited By: Morgan Adele

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