PHILADELPHIA -- For a stretch of Sunday's 37-34 Eagles win over the Washington Redskins, the game really looked like training camp.

That's because during the dog days of summer, amid the sweltering South Philadelphia heat, Jordan Matthews was not only the best wide receiver on the practice fields at the NovaCare Complex, but he also served as a security blanket to whichever quarterback happened to be on the field during a particular period.

However, that summer camp success didn't immediately translate into game day production for Matthews, though. The University of Vanderbilt product dropped two passes in his preseason debut against the Chicago Bears last month and had a couple more drops last Monday night against the Indianapolis Colts.

On Sunday, though, amid the chaos of Nick Foles getting battered and cheap-shotted by the Redskins defense, Jordan Matthews was breaking open and breaking out.

Against the Redskins Matthews became the eighth Eagles rookie to catch two touchdown passes in one game and his eight catches were the most by an Eagles rookie since tight end Keith Jackson caught eight in 1988.

"That's like a trivia question right there, I don't know," Matthews said after the game, the two touchdown balls sitting on a shelf in his locker. "I am just glad we got the win. Other things aside, the main thing is that we were able to come out and get a win.They are close, so I know that [head] coach Kelly is losing some hair, so we have to put some more points on the board."

True to form and his team-first mentality, Matthews was quick to deflect praise and chose rather to focus the attention on the impact his performance had on the team at large.

"At the same time, we are doing great. The main goal is to go 1-0 each week. So we are excited that we did that again. We are going to celebrate for 24 hours, then forget about it and begin preparing for next week.”

Just as Foles showed off his leadership by quickly scooping up the game ball from Matthews' first touchdown Sunday, the second-round draft pick made it clear that the quarterback was the biggest key to the Eagles gutting out a character-defining win in the first division game of the season.

"Nick Foles," he said. "Absolutely, Nick Foles in the red zone. He put the ball in a perfect place for me to make a play. I got a couple of good matchups against the middle linebackers, so he knew to put the ball high for me to get. I couldn't ask for better throws from him."

All of the focus going into Sunday was centered on DeSean Jackson's return to Philadelphia and the conversation all off-season was about how the Eagles would replace the Pro Bowler's production. Matthews and Jeremy Maclin combined for 16 catches for 213 yards and three touchdowns Sunday, putting those questions to rest.

"I thought all those guys did a really good job today," Eagles head coach Chip Kelly said after the game. "[Jeremy Maclin] had a big day, Jordan had a big day, [WR Riley Cooper] contributed.

"It's one of those deals were we have weapons at every spot, so how do you get into the individual matchups? Then the chess match is on; sometimes they played zone, sometimes they played man, tried to get them with a linebacker cut, cut the linebacker on [RB Darren] Sproles one time, cut the linebacker on [TE Zach] Ertz one time, and you're just kind of going back and forth.

"If they're going to take the run game, then we've got to make them pay through the air, and that's what happened today.”

Part of Matthews' success Sunday has to be credited to Foles who appeared much more comfortable in and moving the pocket as well as stepping up and making the tough throws to wide receivers, who by and large were non-factors through the first two weeks.

"Jordan's second touchdown catch was in a tight window," Foles said. "So he really did a good job of focusing on the ball. I was proud of those guys."

It was only one game, but Matthews certainly looked more and more like the rookie from Vanderbilt who was catching everything thrown his way at practice this summer and if he continues to put up that kind of production, the Eagles are going to be just fine at wide receiver.

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