It seems safe to say that Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson is officially in Andy Reid's dog house.
Jackson spent the fourth quarter of Sunday's 38-20 loss to the New England Patriots on the bench after a performance that included two dropped touchdown passes.
Reid's postgame explanation was simple.
"I just wanted to give the other guys an opportunity," Reid told reporters.
Jackson dropped what should have been a 4-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, and then let a second potential touchdown on a deep pass from Vince Young go through his hands during the third quarter.
"Things happen sometimes," Jackson said, per the team's official website. "As a player, honestly, you're upset when you drop passes like I did tonight. Sometimes you have a bad game, and tonight definitely wasn't my best game. There were a couple of plays I thought I should have made, but didn't. I know I'm a better receiver than that."
Jackson, who finished with four receptions for 73 yards, said he understood Reid's decision.
"It was the decision that was made and, as a player, I have to live with it," said Jackson. "Whatever happens, happens. I just have to come back to work and make up for the plays I missed today.
"We're all human. It's all about what you do when bad things happen. ... As a professional, I need to bounce back. We need to do what we need to do to win games. This has been very frustrating. We never dreamed we'd be 4-7 at this point in the season."
Jackson's season has been full of drama from the start. The two-time Pro Bowl selection, in the final season of his rookie contract, has been public about his desire for a new deal. He was also benched for a game two weeks ago after missing a team meeting.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
