Five Big-Picture Takeaways From Eagles Week 9 Win Vs Cowboys

1.) Jordan Matthews Trusts the Process

Nov 8, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jordan Matthews (81) celebrates his game winning touchdown catch against the Dallas Cowboys during the overtime of a game at AT&T Stadium. Eagles won 33-27. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports

Given what has transpired over the course of the 2015 season, it would be hard-pressed for an Eagles fan to hand-pick a more suitable hero for Sunday’s game than receiver Jordan Matthews. The second-year man out of Vanderbilt’s dynamic rookie season seemed like a distant memory as he trudged through a sophomore campaign littered with drops. For a player who is as hard on himself as any coach could possibly be, Matthews’ inability to come up with the answer as to why he had seemingly lost the ability to make a catch overnight was cringeworthy at times.

Matthews had turned in a strong performance even before his walk-off 41-yard touchdown in overtime. Despite being draped by impressive Cowboys rookie Byron Jones for the better part of the contest, Matthews managed to make plays and help the offense along the way to another 400+ yard output. Nothing looked especially different about his game. It wasn’t as if he found a magical pair of receiver’s gloves or undetectable stick-um to help him catch the ball. Matthews is as intense a competitor as there is on the field and always looks as if he’s trying to run through a wall. The only difference Sunday was the end result.

Next: Eagles vs Cowboys: Offensive Grades

After the game (9 receptions, 133 yards, TD), Matthews cited his approach on the practice field and the work he consistently puts in when the plays don’t count as the reason for why he was not surprised by his output. The 2nd year pro is very committed to the ideal that having this type of mindset on the practice field for every rep possible will allow any NFL player to achieve the type of success he aspires to. Matthews did not necessarily paint a picture of what this entailed, so his quarterback Sam Bradford did for him in his post-game press conference.

"“It’s huge! You can’t say much about Jordan. The way he worked this week in practice, I don’t know if I have ever seen someone work as hard as he did. He played great. That last play, you can’t say nothing about how he went out and the finish afterwards. You couldn’t be happier for him.”"

Bradford would even go on to mention that Matthews took reps with the scout team offense when the rest of the starters rested. Matthews isn’t the physical specimen that Dez Bryant or some of the other receivers in the league is. He realizes that he needs to keep this type of approach to make contributions to the team. Sam Hinkie would be proud of what the receiver values in terms of putting in work towards an ultimate goal.