Nick Piccone
A month ago, I thought Howard Eskin was a moron for suggesting Ryan Mathews be given the ball more than DeMarco Murray – something that I thought was too early to proclaim. Well, it’s almost November, and that seems to be the best answer for this offense if they want a potent running game.
PhillyInfluencer.com contributor Brenden Peddigree agreed with Eskin’s sentiment. The give the ball to Mathews movement began right here, actually. Now, other people are hopping on board, probably because of these quotes after last night’s game. [NJ.com]
“There is only one ball. We have three good running backs,” Mathews said. “We have to make the most of each opportunity.”
Mathews certainly did that on Sunday night, finishing with 97 yards on just six carries. The 97 yards were 32 more than starting running back DeMarco Murray finished with, despite the fact that Murray carried the ball 12 more times.
“I thought it was alright. Could have been better,” Murray said. “We all just have to continue to do better.”
On the night, Mathews averaged 16.2 yards per carry, while Murray averaged just 3.6 yards per attempt.
“I’m just here to help the team win,” Mathews said when asked if he was frustrated to touch the ball just six times. “It’s not frustrating. It’s just frustrating when we lose.”
“I have to make the most of my carries,” Mathews said. “We are all trying to make plays. We just have to go with what the coaches call.”
The issue of who should get more carries has become larger and larger as the season has gone on.
Through seven games Mathews has 342 yards on 56 carries. He has carried the ball over 10 times just once all season, in the team’s Week 3 win over the New York Jets, a game Murray did not play in.
Murray, on the other hand, has carried the ball 88 times this season, and over 10 times in each of the past three games. Despite getting the ball more, Murray has just 307 yards, 35 less than Mathews.
“I feel like we are doing a good job,” Murray said of the way the carries are being distributed. “Guys are getting their opportunities.”
When pressed after the game, Mathews insisted he felt the same way Murray did.
“They are keeping us healthy, we are rolling,” Mathews said. “We just have to get better each week.”
In the past, Chip Kelly has said running backs coach, Duce Staley, pretty much handles which running backs are in what plays, which is something I still fail to believe. And it sounds like Staley’s crew is getting tired of it.
I find it extremely hard to believe that a guy who fought for power over everything would let his running backs coach decide which backs go in the game at which time. Does Chip trust Staley that much to give him that responsibility? I mean, I guess it’s possible. I just don’t see it. If that was the case, I think we’d be seeing a whole lot more of Ryan Mathews. Or, if Staley really is utilizing the rotation, why isn’t Kelly stepping in and overruling? I mean, he can do that, you know. I just don’t understand it, and I’m not sure anyone else does, either.
I don’t think it sounds like he is unhappy at all with his role. It sounds like he’s unhappy that they continue to lose. Which can mostly be attributed to predictable play calling by Chip when he runs sweep after sweep, and continuous drops by the wide receivers on this team. Mathews should definitely have the ball in his hands more though. It needs to be at least an even split between Murray and Mathews. Regardless of how much people are getting paid, Chip needs to do what it takes to win.