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Mathis, Kelce Not Caught Up In Season Expectations

By Andrew Porter

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- Since 2011, Evan Mathis and Jason Kelce have been playing together on the Eagles offensive line. Both Mathis, 32, at left-guard and Kelce, 26, at center have not only blossomed into elite NFL blockers on the field, but also strong friends off-the-field.

Mathis and Kelce joined the 94WIP Morning Show together on Tuesday, promoting a chance for a lucky fan (and 13 friends) to attend a Flyers game in a suite with them, as part of the Eagles radiothon auction on 94WIP benefiting the Eagles Youth Partnership.

As the Eagles head into 2014 as the favorite to win the NFC East, Mathis and Kelce explained they aren't listening to the outside predictions and expectations

"It's one game at a time," Mathis told Angelo Cataldi on the 94WIP Morning Show. "I'm not going to expect anything, I'm not going to look ahead, I'm not going to look into the crystal ball or anything like that. For me right now, all I'm think about is the Jaguars. Just the same way we didn't worry about people's expectations of us last year, we didn't worry about them this year. We're focused on what we're doing each week, we're focused on our game plan, focused on our opponents, and I think our team does a good job of maintaining their focus and not worrying about external pressure."

Listen: Evan Mathis and Jason Kelce on the 94WIP Morning Show

"I agree with Evan," Kelce said. "I think that you can't help but to expect to be a really great team when you think you got good players and good parts around you, but it's the same thing. When you get caught looking too far ahead, when you get caught looking at playoffs and stuff like that, that's when you lose focus on each week and the preparation that it takes each week. So, right now we're just working on the Jacksonville Jaguars preparing for them like we're preparing for the Super Bowl and nothing really changes."

Kelce will be snapping the ball to Nick Foles, who enters the 2014 season as the clear-cut starting quarterback for the first time in his young NFL career.

"Now [Foles] is the designated starter, so everybody has that much more respect," Kelce explained. "The starting offensive unit is that much more unified because there is one guy at the position now. But I've said this a lot, I really don't think Nick has changed since the moment he's got here. He's always been --- I mean, his game has gotten much better, but the type of person you're getting ---you are getting the same guy. You're getting a hard-working, a guy who is going to come in each day trying to get better, trying to get his teammates better. That aspect of Nick Foles hasn't changed one bit."

 

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