Knee Jerk Reactions: Hey, Ryan Mathews
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Not to toot my own horn, but I've been yelling for Ryan Mathews since the season has begun.
Related: Porter: Eagles Hurting Themselves By Not Using Ryan Mathews
Mathews is a lead back in the NFL. He can catch, he can run, and he can block. He needs the ball.
On Sunday, Doug Pederson finally took him out of the doghouse.
- Ryan Mathews totaled 139 yards on 21 touches (19-109-2 rushing, 2-30 receiving).
- The Eagles are now 4-1 when Mathews gets double-digit touches and 1-4 when he does not -- with the lone win coming in Week 3 against the Steelers when Mathews was hurt anyway.
- Mathews has a career-high eight offensive TDs (7 rushing TD), becoming just the fifth Eagles player since 1950 to record 7+ rushing TDs in the first nine games of the season.
- The Eagles are 3-1 when Wendell Smallwood (13 carries, 70 yards) receives at least four carries.
- The offensive line was excellent: Jason Peters and Jason Kelce had their best games of the season.
- Peters, Kelce, and Halapoulivaati Vaitai were three of the team's top-five offensive graded players by Pro Football Focus.
- Pretty much, when the Doug Pederson understand the identity of the team and runs the ball using all three backs, good things happen.
- Jordan Matthews is a really good NFL receiver.
- Sure, he drops some key passes, but so do a lot of NFL receivers.
- Drops are his crutch, but he continues to produce for the Eagles, who lack offensive weapons. And I'll keep defending him.
- J-Matt had six catches for 73 yards on 10 targets, including the blatant helmet-to-helmet shot that went uncalled.
- And Nelson Agholor still stinks.
- Carson Wentz played well and the game plan was conducive to helping him: 25-36, 231 yards, 0 INT's.
- The defense was excellent -- probably their best all-around game of the season, holding the NFL's leading offense to just 15 points.
- A good defense becomes a great defense when you don't miss tackles. The Eagles did not miss tackles on Sunday.
- Malcolm Jenkins was, for my money, the best player on the field: 8 tackles, 6 solo, 1 tackle for loss.
- He allowed four catches for just 32 yards on five targets.
- Brandon Graham recorded his 5th sack of the season.
- Mychal Kendricks played a solid game: 3 solo tackles, 1 pass deflection, 1 QB hit.
- Kendricks was actually the Eagles' highest graded defensive player (84.9)
- Rodney McLeod is back to hitting people and had a strong game.
- Fletcher Cox was the Eagles' second highest graded player (82.2), recording six QB hurries on 31 pass rush snaps.
- Overall, the Eagles are 5-4 through nine games with a rookie coach and a rookie quarterback. That's good.
- Unfortunately, they play in the best division in the NFL and their next three games are: @ Sea, vs. GB, @ Cin.
