LOS ANGELES — When Alshon Jeffery met with the media late Sunday night after a monster game against the Rams, he brought a football with him.
And it didn’t leave his hands.
Asked what was significant about that ball, Jeffery smiled and just said: “It’s been a while.”
It had been quite a while since we saw this Alshon Jeffery — skying high for jump balls, turning in big plays up and down the field, looking every bit like a star receiver.
Jeffery was the biggest beneficiary of the Eagles’ quarterback change in the Eagles’ 30-23 win over the Rams at L.A. Coliseum.
It was impossible to ignore the fact that Jeffery made more big plays in one game with Nick Foles than in most of a season with Carson Wentz.
Jeffery’s two longest catches this year came Sunday night from Foles, as did four of his nine longest:
NFL
50 yards … Foles yesterday
36 yards … Foles yesterday
31 yards … Wentz vs Titans
31 yards … Wentz vs Vikings
29 yards … Wentz vs Panthers
26 yards … Foles yesterday
21 yards … Wentz vs Giants [2]
20 yards … Wentz vs Panthers
18 yards … Foles yesterday
Jeffery didn’t play the first two weeks of the season, so the Rams game was his first this year with Foles.
In 11 games with Wentz, Jeffery averaged 54 yards. He had eight for 160 Sunday night.
Nick did a hell of a job just finding me, just finding me, just making plays. Whoever’s out there, it doesn’t matter. If it’s Carson, Nick, Ertz, me, Nelly. We’re just trying to make plays. It doesn’t matter who’s catching it and who’s throwing it.
But it does seem to matter.
Jeffery’s 160 yards were his most since 2013 with the Bears and third-most of his career.
It was the most receiving yards by an Eagle since Jeremy Maclin had 187 in a game in Arizona back in 2014.
For whatever reason, Wentz was just reluctant to chuck the ball deep this year, and when he did, he was off. Maybe his surgically repaired knee wouldn't allow him to plant firmly enough to be able to launch the ball down the field. Maybe his back injury prevented him from going deep.
One thing is clear.
Foles is a gunslinger and he didn’t hesitate getting the ball vertical to Jeffery.
He didn’t look underneath. His eyes were always down the field.
That meant the numbers were down for the tight ends and backs but way up for the outside receivers.
And that gave the offense more juice than it's had in a long time.
In 24 games with Wentz over the last two years, Jeffery has averaged 12.6 yards per catch.
In seven games with Foles, he’s averaged 17.2 yards per catch.
Different quarterback, different Alshon.
“None of that really matters,” Jeffery said. “As long as we’re winning games that’s all I really care about. Just winning games.”
How can Foles and Jeffery have such a connection when they haven’t played together since the Super Bowl?
“You know, I watched all the practices, been doing the scout team and I know the guys,” Foles said. “I mean, you go out there, I’m a thrower. I just read their body language and throw the ball. They made a lot of great plays. Alshon, great catches.”
The last six weeks were tough for Jeffery.
With Wentz clearly unable or reluctant to get the ball down the field, Jeffery had six straight games under 50 yards.
For the first time in his career.
Sunday made up for all of it, and largely because of it the Eagles are back in the playoff mix.
“I’m just patient, man,” he said. “I’m just trying to control what I can control. I tell Nick and Carson all the time just throw it up. I’m going to catch it and no one else is going to catch it.”
And for the first time in a long time, one of them was listening.
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