Maybe Jordan Matthews really will be the next T.O.
Arriving amid high expectations but before last night never generating 60 or more receiving yards in any one game, Matthews exploded on Monday night with seven catches for 138 yards and two touchdowns.
After the breakout performance, the Eagles downplayed the situation.
"[I]t’s just matchups,” coach Chip Kelly told reporters in response to whether a conscious effort was made to get Matthews the ball. “We felt like we could exploit some things inside. . . . We thought we matched up really well if they were going to play us in man. They played a ton of man early. So we felt those inside receivers had really good chances in the matchups.”
Matthews likewise seemed unfazed by his big night.
“It’s just Coach Kelly calling plays and getting me in position to go out there and make plays,” Matthews told reporters. “Mark [Sanchez] trusted me and gave me opportunities. When you have those situations, when your coach and quarterback both trust you and have your back, you have to have theirs too. I knew I had to go out there and make some plays. That is what I tried my best to do.”
Sanchez, whose chemistry with Matthews dates back to the offseason, was a bit more effusive in his praise of the rookie.
“Number one, he’s a great talent, and that’s almost a prerequisite to get to this level,” Sanchez told reporters. “But he works. He works really hard and he’s a competitor. He wants the ball and he fights for the ball. . . . He wants that ball. Not in a way that’s bad body language and affects the team with negativity, but he wants the ball.”
It’s clear that what started between Sanchez and Matthews in the offseason carried over to the regular season.
“Of course we had something going on in camp,” Matthews said. “We kind of had to. We were both on the second team at the time. So, I took the majority of my reps with him. After practice, I made sure I got extra reps with him. I knew that if I wanted to break into the lineup, I had to look good with the second team first. That was definitely a point of emphasis for me back then. We continue to have a great relationship. I started building one with Nick [Foles], but now it’s Mark’s opportunity, so I have to go out and make plays for him.”
It also doesn’t hurt to suck up.
"[H]e’s a franchise quarterback,” Matthews said of Sanchez. “We are probably one of the only teams with two franchise quarterbacks. We are very fortunate to have that. They both have been to big games, both played in the playoffs, so we are lucky to have them. Like I said, we just saw him go out and be elite today.”
We saw Matthews play pretty well, too. Between Sanchez and Matthews, they both played well enough to make Eagles fans feel pretty good about the offense in the absence of Foles.