Jackson’s 67-yd TD run, 57-yd TD catch help Eagles lead Skins 27-10 at half; Westbrook hurt

Eagles lead Skins 27-10 at half; Westbrook hurt

LANDOVER, Md. — DeSean Jackson scored on a 67-yard touchdown run and a 57-yard touchdown catch Monday night to help the Eagles lead the Redskins 27-10 at halftime before he left an injury-filled game to have his foot X-rayed.

Also among several players hurt was Philadelphia’s leading rusher, Brian Westbrook, who departed with a concussion after his helmet collided with linebacker London Fletcher’s knee at the end of a run in the first quarter.

Jackson reached the end zone the only two times he touched the ball on plays from scrimmage in the first half. The Eagles, coming off a surprising loss to Oakland, took the lead on the fourth play from scrimmage, when Jackson carried the ball around the left end on a reverse and broke up the sideline for the team’s longest run of the season by far. Philadelphia’s previous best was 25 yards.

Donovan McNabb’s long toss to Jackson, with 1:50 left in the second quarter, was the quarterback’s 200th NFL TD pass and pushed him past 30,000 yards passing for his career.

In between, three turnovers by the Redskins led to 13 points for the Eagles, including Will Witherspoon’s 9-yard interception return for a touchdown, making it 14-0 with a minute left in the opening quarter. Making his Eagles debut after a midweek trade from the St. Louis Rams, the middle linebacker grabbed the ball when Jason Campbell’s pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage by blitzing safety Quintin Mikell.

On the first play of the second quarter, Witherspoon stripped Campbell of the ball, and Mikell recovered the fumble in Washington territory. That led to David Akers’ 47-yard field goal, which made it 17-0 about 1½ minutes into the second quarter.

Later, Antwaan Randle El’s muffed punt return — the football went off his facemask — was recovered by Sean Jones, setting up the Eagles at Washington’s 25. That drive didn’t go anywhere — it included one of several little-or-no-gain plays out of wildcat formations for Philadelphia — but Akers’ 44-yard kick made it 20-7 with about 4 minutes left in the second quarter.

Washington’s lone first-half TD came 4 minutes earlier, when Campbell connected with Devin Thomas on a 2-yard pass, the second-year receiver’s first NFL touchdown catch. Shaun Suisham added a 47-yard field goal with a second left in the first half for Washington.

Putting a damper on the Eagles’ strong start was the injury to Westbrook, who stayed down on the ground for several minutes. As his brother — Redskins cornerback Byron Westbrook — and Eagles coach Andy Reid looked on from steps away, Westbrook eventually was helped up and led off the field, walking toward the locker room. The Eagles said he was not expected to return.

Westbrook had three carries for 13 yards at the time.

Jackson’s injury was announced shortly after his second score. Among the other players hurt before halftime: Redskins Byron Westbrook and linebacker H.B. Blades left with knee injuries, tight end Chris Cooley left with a hurt right ankle and defensive lineman Cornelius Griffin sprained his elbow. Eagles safety Macho Harris went to the locker room for X-rays on an ankle.

This was Washington’s first game this season against an opponent that entered the game with a victory. Last week, the Redskins became the first team in league history to play six consecutive games against winless teams.

After Washington lost 14-6 to previously winless Kansas City last weekend, the Redskins stripped head coach Jim Zorn of his play-calling duties and handed them to consultant Sherm Lewis. With Lewis in charge Monday, Campbell’s first four passes were intended for Cooley.

Lewis was retired for nearly five years — indeed, was spending time calling bingo games at a senior center — when the Redskins got in touch a few weeks ago and hired him as a consultant, someone they repeatedly said was brought aboard as “a fresh set of eyes.”

That shuffle only increased speculation that Zorn’s days were numbered. But front office chief Vinny Cerrato opened his weekly radio show Friday by saying, “Jim Zorn is the head coach of the Washington Redskins and will be for the rest of this season — and hopefully into the future.”