Andre Dillard Will Make First NFL Start, DeSean Jackson May Play, Too
Andre Dillard will make his first career NFL start on Sunday in one of the biggest games of the Eagles’ season, against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in a primetime matchup.
Eagles head coach Doug Pederson said veteran left tackle Jason Peters’ knee injury suffered last week against the Vikings is week-to-week. In Pederson-speak, week-to-week means a player won’t play in an upcoming game.
Pederson-speak also means there is a chance DeSean Jackson could play in more than a month on Sunday night. Pederson said the receiver is getting close and called him day-to-day, which is an upgrade of Jackson’s week-to-week status since straining his abdomen in Week 2.
“He’s been on the ground, he’s been on land running through his rehab and he’s progressing well,” said Pederson about Jackson. “I feel comfortable and confident he’s right on track to being healthy and so he becomes more day-to-day.”
Having the veteran pass catcher back would do wonders for an offense that has to nibble it way down field without benefit of the big-play capability Jackson delivers and one that must now also integrate a rookie at a pivotal position on the offensive line – left tackle.
Dillard, who was drafted in the first round out of Washington State, had his most extensive playing time last week, earning 47 snaps when Peters went out after 18 snaps. Dillard’s previous high in snaps were six in garbage time of a blowout win over the New York Jets.
“That’s why we drafted him,” said Pederson about Dillard. “We have total confidence in Andre.”
Pederson compared Dillard's first extended snaps of the season in Minnesota last week to the first start reserve Halapoulivaati Vaita had as a rookie in 2016.
Vaitai struggled in that Oct. 16 game against Washington Redskins rusher Ryan Kerrigan. Vaitai has developed into the team’s best backup offensive lineman at both tackle positions and is now being cross-trained at guard.
“I go back and think about what Big V did in his first start,” said Pederson. “It wasn’t perfect and I think about what Andre did last week in Minneapolis, it wasn’t perfect. He’ll learn from it, he’ll get better. He’s a tremendous athlete, he’s smart, and we have a lot of confidence in Andre.
“The guys around him, he’s not on an island obviously. He’ll get a lot of help from the guys starting with (center) Jason Kelce and we go from there.”
Dillard will likely matchup against Dallas’ Robert Quinn, who has five sacks and has the same kind of ability to take over a game that Kerrigan possesses.
The rookie figures to get help at times from tight ends Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert as well as running backs Jordan Howard and Miles Sanders staying in to block on pass plays.
On the other side, Lane Johnson will be expected to hold up against the Cowboys’ DeMarcus Lawrence.
