DETROIT – The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defensive game plan is likely to start with Shaun Alexander and end with Matt Hasselbeck.
And that’s just fine with Darrell Jackson.
The Seattle Seahawks’ wide receiver thrives off the lack of attention that has helped him develop into one of the most underappreciated receivers in the NFL.
“We have really never gotten the credit we deserve,” Jackson said, referring to Seattle’s receiving corps. “I don’t even think we get the credit we deserve in Seattle.
“I think we’ve just been overshadowed. We’ve had an MVP candidate in Shaun Alexander, we have Matt Hasselbeck with Mike Holmgren bringing him over from Green Bay. Then we had some problems being labeled as not being able to hold onto the ball and drops. So I don’t really think we got the full credit being a wide receiver group that we should.”
While Bobby Engram has been a key third-down threat, and Joe Jurevicius has been Hasselbeck’s favorite target in the red zone, Jackson quietly remains the Seahawks’ go-to receiver for the sixth year in a row – even though his is not exactly a household name (just ask The NFL Network, which continually referred to him as Dexter Jackson during a telecast last week).
Despite undergoing October knee surgery, Jackson has been more productive than ever when healthy. In eight regular season and postseason games this year, he has averaged 6.6 receptions and 87.5 yards per contest. Even in 2004, when Jackson had a career year with a team-high 99 receptions, including 12 in the playoff loss to St. Louis, his totals weren’t that good (5.8 receptions and 83.9 yards per game).
And Jackson has been especially good in the postseason, with 32 receptions for 404 yards and three touchdowns in four career playoff games. In wins over Washington and Carolina en route to Super Bowl XL, he’s totaled 15 receptions for 218 yards and scored a touchdown in both games.
Mike Holmgren’s offense is all about balance, but his version of the West Coast system has relied on a go-to receiver over the years. From his days as a coordinator in San Francisco with Jerry Rice to guys like Robert Brooks and Antonio Freeman in Green Bay, Holmgren has always found more offensive success when his passing game has a focal point.
And in Seattle, that guy has been Jackson.
“He adds a little something to our offense,” Hasselbeck said after Jackson caught nine passes for 143 yards in a playoff win over Washington two weeks ago. “He’s very quick, he’s very explosive. He’s been the most productive receiver ever since I’ve been here and even before that.”
The Steelers are likely to have cornerback Ike Taylor follow Jackson around the field. Pittsburgh used a similar strategy in three meetings with Cincinnati, and Taylor limited Bengals receiver Chad Johnson to a total of 13 receptions and no touchdowns. The only other time Taylor followed a receiver all over the field, Chicago’s Muhsin Muhammad caught eight passes for 91 yards in a convincing, 21-9 Pittsburgh win.
By taking out Jackson, the Steelers won’t necessarily slow down the Seattle game plan. The Seahawks have had success without him, with Engram and Jurevicius combining for 122 receptions during the regular season.
But before the Steelers can worry about stopping those guys, they’ll have to concentrate on Seattle’s big three: Alexander, Hasselbeck and Jackson.
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