Chemistry and Receiver Issues? There’s a Guy Who Can Help with Both
In the last two weeks, the Eagles have gone up against the 3rd (Bills) and 6th (Bears) best scoring defenses and have come away with an average of 26.5 points over those two games (higher than season average), and yet, the offense has not changed any of the skeptical minds.
Why? Because the passing numbers have been low.
The Eagles are in the bottom half of the league in terms of passing yards per game, ranking 20th, and don’t have a single wide receiver with more than 353 yards. To make matters worse, the Eagles lead the league in drops, with 11.
Any success the offense has found this year has been on the ground through the duo of Jordan Howard and Miles Sanders, but the Eagles didn’t sign Carson Wentz to a $128 million dollar extension to keep the ball on the ground. Despite the lack of help, Wentz has still made the most of what he’s had, but as the injuries and drops pile up, he will eventually struggle. With DeSean Jackson likely done for the season, and Alshon Jeffery’s production as low as his rookie year, the wide receiver situation is uglier than ever. Fortunately, the free-agent market stays open even when the trade market closes, and there’s a free agent that Carson Wentz and the Eagles are all too familiar with.
Image Credits: Michael Perez/AP
Jordan Matthews, regarded by Carson Wentz as one of his best friends, is a receiver that can easily come in and make a large impact. Drafted in the second round in the 2014 draft by the Eagles, Matthews has easily been one of the league’s best slot receivers. Excluding 2019, he’s accrued 3,255 yards over his six years in the league, with his best season (2015) totaling 85 receptions for 997 yards and 8 touchdowns. After being traded from the Eagles to the Bills in 2017, Matthews found himself back in Philadelphia the very next year, being claimed off of the waivers in week 4 of 2018. He only started 3 games and totaled 20 receptions for 300 yards and 2 touchdowns, but in the playoffs, he had a deep, 37-yard touchdown from Nick Foles in an eventual loss to the Saints.
Now, with the injuries and lack of production from the current Eagle wideouts, Matthews is bound to start if brought on, and when put in the slot, he’s the best to do it. Between 2014 and 2017, Jordan Matthews led the entire league in yards when playing in the slot, with 2,389 yards (Pro Football Focus). In addition to his statistics, his friendship with Carson Wentz is also a very important factor.
Bringing in a guy like Matthews, who has had such a great relationship with Wentz, would provide a nice change in pace for the 26-year-old quarterback, who has gone through massive criticism from his own teammates this year. When Matthews was traded, Wentz was the guy to drop him off at the airport. That should tell you enough about their friendship.
Overall, this is a move that can’t hurt the Eagles in any way. Although Matthews is certainly not a number one wideout, at least he’d be able to get more targets than Mack Hollins or JJ Arcega-Whiteside.
If the guys in the house can’t step up, then the Eagles need to bring in a guy(s) that will, because at 5-4, the season is very much alive, and to contend, Wentz will need his surrounding pieces to function properly.
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