Could Jordan Matthews Replace Jeremy Maclin as the No. 1 Receiver in Philly?

There's an undeniable connection between Philadelphia Eagles interim starting quarterback Mark Sanchez and rookie wide receiver Jordan Matthews. The two worked together with the second-team offense for much of the summer and displayed a noteworthy amount of chemistry in the preseason. 

And now that Sanchez is starting in place of the injured Nick Foles, the two have picked up where they left off in August. In Sanchez's first start with the Eagles on Monday night against the Carolina Panthers, Matthews made a career-high seven receptions for a career-high 138 yards while catching both of the veteran quarterback's two touchdown throws. 

Since Sanchez took over for Foles during the first half of Philadelphia's Week 9 victory over the Houston Texans, Matthews has become the go-to guy operating out of the slot. 

Receiver	REC	Targets	REC%	YDS	TD
Jordan Matthews	9	12	75.0	173	3
Jeremy Maclin	7	11	63.6	126	1
Josh Huff	3	5	60.0	25	0

More yards per reception, more yards per target, more targets and more of a presence in the end zone—that's no coincidence. 

"You can't say enough about him," Sanchez said of Matthews this week, per Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer. "I don't want to say too much because he'll get a big head, his hat won't fit. But he's such a talent."

It's not as though Matthews wasn't producing before Sanchez took over, but he has certainly seen his role increase since the change was made. 

Time frame	Targets	REC	YDS	TD
First 3 games	17	11	113	2
Next 3 games	20	12	103	0
Last 3 games	24	16	225	3

And when you consider that top wideout Jeremy Maclin is working under a one-year contract, it's fair to wonder if Matthews might be on track to completely steal the 26-year-old's job before time has expired on the 2014 season. 

Don't get me wrong; Maclin has had a hell of a year. He ranks eighth in the NFL in receiving yardage and is tied for fourth with eight touchdowns. But he's also coming off the second torn ACL of his football life, and when you dig a little deeper, it becomes obvious that Matthews is on pace to become the better top option.  

The thing about Matthews is he's showing signs he has the ability to become a big-time playmaker. 

He's one of only 16 receivers with at least 25 grabs who have averaged more than six yards after the reception per catch (Maclin narrowly misses out at 5.98). And regardless of who has been at quarterback, he's been clutch on third downs. 

Receiver	REC	Targets	REC%	YDS	TD
Matthews	14	24	58.3	181	2
Maclin	7	15	46.7	90	0

He's also become a much more prominent and reliable target in the red zone.

Receiver	REC	Targets	REC%	YDS	TD
Matthews	7	10	70.0	73	5
Maclin	3	9	33.3	24	2

Now, it's important to keep in mind that Maclin has typically dealt with tougher matchups as the No. 1 receiver, while Matthews has probably benefited from more favorable matchups in the slot. But when you look at the tape, you can't deny the fact that the Vanderbilt product has the look of an elite receiver, regardless of where he lines up. 

He bullies guys, he almost always finds a way to get open, and he makes tough catches in traffic. 

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The guy is 6'3" and 212 pounds and runs a sub-4.50 40-yard dash. Maclin's had an extremely productive career, but he's smaller and probably a tad slower at this point. 

Foles should eventually return, maybe even before the end of the regular season, but this could serve as a lesson for him. It's possible the third-year quarterback was relying too heavily on Maclin, who during the first nine weeks was the fifth-most-targeted receiver in the league but had caught only 51.9 percent of the passes Foles threw his way. 

Receiver	Targets	REC	REC%
Vincent Jackson	90	40	44.4%
Kelvin Benjamin	85	43	50.6%
Jeremy Maclin	90	48	53.3%
Mike Wallace	75	40	53.3%
Cecil Shorts	61	33	54.1%
Rueben Randle	79	43	54.4%

So while Maclin's had a chance to compile bigger numbers, he's benefited from preferential treatment, and his statistics are inflated by a two-game hot streak that took place in Weeks 8 and 9. During that two-week stretch, he compiled 38 percent of his catches, 42 percent of his yardage and 50 percent of his touchdowns for the entire season. 

Sure, Maclin is averaging 17.3 yards per catch while Matthews is stuck on 11.6, but Matthews has caught three of the six deep passes thrown his way, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), while Maclin has only eight catches on deep balls despite being targeted 20 or more yards downfield on 28 occasions. 

That's the highest deep-target total in the league by a 27 percent margin, which is pretty insane. But among 24 qualifying receivers, he's one of only six with a catch rate below 30 percent on those passes. 

Maclin remains on pace to have a season that would be just as good on paper as any DeSean Jackson had in Philly, helping Eagles fans forget about the departed Pro Bowl receiver. But quietly, Matthews' rookie season is already starting to compare favorably to Jackson's first year with the Washington Redskins. 

Receiver	REC	Targets	REC%	YDS	TD
Matthews	39	61	63.9	451	5
Jackson	36	61	59.0	784	4

It shouldn't surprise anybody that Matthews is stepping up. In fact, considering he was reportedly the best receiver on the field for parts of the summer and drew comparisons to Terrell Owens, I figured it would have happened sooner.

Now, though, with Sanchez at the helm indefinitely, he has a chance to become the top guy. And if that comes to fruition, he'll at least turn this receiving corps into something even more special than what it had with Jackson, Riley Cooper and Jason Avant in 2013. At most, he'll make Maclin expendable, saving the Eagles a considerable amount of cash this spring. 

Brad Gagnon has covered the NFC East for Bleacher Report since 2012.

Follow @Brad_Gagnon