But the Birds are built for speed, which means they are built for Jackson and Westbrook. When those players contribute, everything else works, and they know it.
They contributed yesterday. Each scored a touchdown. Each added juice. Their biggest plays iced the Eagles' 38-10 win.
Jackson, the versatile X-factor on a team that loves X-factor trickery, ran back a punt 85 yards for a touchdown to make it 17-7 early in the second quarter, the second-longest in Eagles history. He also caught two passes for 9 yards and ran twice, once from a direct snap for 8 yards, once on an end-around for 25 yards.
Westbrook carried the mail in the offense's only real touchdown drive.
Quarterback Donovan McNabb was good; the patchwork offensive line, steady; tight end Brent Celek, serviceable (six catches, 37 yards, touchdown); but the playmakers made plays.
"It's huge. It can't get any better than that," Jackson said. "To make these big plays for the team - that's what I live for. It's a lot of fun. It definitely comes with a lot of responsibility. Being smart. Not doing anything crazy. It's huge to have the defense key in on you."
Shifty, explosive and gifted with a receiver's speed and hands, Westbrook is keyed on every play - even now, older and battered and protected by coach Andy Reid from the longest and most grueling practices.
Westbrook said Wednesday that the game against Carolina would be as pressure-filled for him as any in his nine seasons.
"I think I responded well," Westbrook said. "Coach Reid is probably a better one to ask that. He yelled at me a couple of times. We'll see. We'll watch the film - see if he was right or I was right."
Typically, Westbrook was much softer spoken and self-critical than Jackson, but that's their nature.
