Eagles: Rookie Matthews earning his stripes

Philadelphia Eagles’ wide receiver Jordan Matthews has caught fire as of late. After some early struggles Matthews has really hit form in November. In his last three games, the rookie out of Vanderbilt has 21 catches for 285 yards and four touchdowns, giving him a league leading 153.3 WR Rating across those three weeks. Matthews also averaged an impressive 2.88 Yards per Route Run, the fifth-best mark among wide receivers in that time frame.

Eagles’ head coach Chip Kelly has primarily utilized Matthews from the slot (90.8% of his routes), where, at 6-foot-3 and 212-pounds, he is a match-up nightmare for smaller defensive backs. Matthews has caught all six of his touchdowns while lining up inside, and his 1.88 Yards per Route Run from the position, places him fifth among primary slot receivers.

With a +4.5 receiving grade over his past three games, and a strong rapport with Mark Sanchez (both practiced as second-teamers during training camp), Matthews’ arrow is trending upward. The SEC’s all time leading receiver should continue to claim a large role in Coach Kelly’s high-powered offense as he gets more and more comfortable in the scheme.