Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson kept in check

GLENDALE, Ariz. - With the Eagles offense struggling and with three turnovers against the Arizona Cardinals in the first half on Sunday, it may not have been the best time for the Birds to overlook an important component of the passing game.

Despite Jeremy Maclin's being out with a hip injury, coach Andy Reid did not go out of his way to compensate. Instead of getting DeSean Jackson more touches and a greater share in the overall game plan, Reid decided on a balanced approach.

Through a difficult first half and a more challenging second half, Jackson seemed to be less on Michael Vick's radar screen and more in the Cardinals' defensive preparation.

For his part, Jackson, who finished with three receptions for just 43 yards, was not concerned with the lack of touches. Instead, he indicated the Eagles have a plethora of weapons, and all that's needed, he said, is "a change of momentum."

"We missed [Maclin], but we have other guys to make plays," Jackson said. "This was a disappointing loss, and we didn't play Philadelphia Eagles football. Being on the road, playing a team with this environment, and being behind was just one of those tough things. [Sunday] was one of those days where things weren't working our way."

For his part, Vick indicated there was not a greater effort to get the ball to Jackson, and the quarterback expressed confidence in his ability to connect with Damaris Johnson, a rookie out of Tulsa, who was targeted 11 times to Johnson's 10.

"I think [Johnson] did some good things out there," Vick pointed out. "Obviously, it would have been great to have Maclin in there, but I believe in the guys who were out there playing with me."

Though the Cardinals were aware of Maclin's absence, the defensive game plan centered on eliminating the big play from the Eagles offense.

Overall, the Arizona defense held Vick to a 64.8 quarterback rating and allowed the Birds to convert on just 36 percent of their third-down attempts. Though Vick managed to complete 17 of 37 passes for 217 yards, the Cardinals' swarming, physical defense kept the Eagles from scoring a touchdown for the first time since the final game of the 2009 season against the Dallas Cowboys.

"We had a great game plan but didn't worry about [Maclin's being] out or going more to Jackson," said Cardinals safety Kerry Rhodes, who had four tackles and a sack and jarred the ball loose from Vick on James Sanders' 93-yard fumble return for a touchdown. "When we execute, we have success, and we were conscious of not giving up the big play. The Eagles live and die by making the big play and beating people over the top. We removed the big play, and once you do that you have a chance to contain those guys."

Turnovers again dominated discussion in the Eagles locker room, and the question was asked more than once to Reid during his postgame briefing with reporters.

While Reid took full responsibility for the giveaways, Vick, in the end, said the obvious when he simply told reporters: "We need to make a lot of adjustments."