DeMarco Murray made headlines when he all-but demanded more carries in the offense. The running back made it clear that he led the league in rushing last year for a reason and the Eagles were simply not using him enough. Murray got more work in Week 5 and contributed to the win against the New Orleans Saints, but is he being outplayed by Ryan Mathews who might be the better option right now?
Murray certainly got more carries in Week 5. He grabbed the ball 20 times while putting up 83 yards and a touchdown. He also had 37 yards off seven catches. However, Mathews had 73 yards and a touchdown off eight carries while also adding 23 yards off three catches. Statistically speaking, Mathews was the better back and that could continue. The question is whether or not the Eagles will push forward with the backup over the high-priced free agent.
"I would love to get everybody in a right lather and going, but when we're not having success running the ball at all, then it's tough to say, 'Hey, we're just going to make sure we get [Murray] 22 carries and he's lathered up,' " head coach Chip Kelly said, via Philly.com.
Fans should expect 20 carries to continue coming to Murray, but Mathews might remain the bigger threat. He has made it clear he can make the most out of a little and Kelly will continue to utilize that in the backup situation. The run game turned out to be the saving grace for the Eagles in Week 5. The receiving game was not exactly as on point as some were hoping. Jordan Matthews struggled dropping a touchdown pass and another pass from Sam Bradford while having just 44 yards in the game. The drops have been plaguing Matthews all season and the team needs them to stop. Kelly made it clear the team was working on it.
"It's something that has hurt us. In every game we've played we've had drops. We call those 'SIWs, they're Self Inflicted Wounds,' that's on us to find a solution for it. That's not on the defense. If it's a tip or it's out of our reach, then we understand it. We've gotta clean up the drops. When we do, I think we'll be an even more explosive offense. But they have hurt us," Kelly said, via NJ.com.
As a result, Josh Huff and Zach Ertz had big games for Bradford which could be a trend. Ertz has developed into a favorite target for the quarterback while Huff is making the most out of his teammate's mistakes.