Lost in the disappointment of the 2012 Eagles season was the fact that Nick Foles and Jeremy Maclin established excellent chemistry in short order. In fact, in the seven games that Foles played, Maclin caught 37 passes for 479 yards and three touchdowns, including the last-second game-winner against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Extrapolated over an entire season’s worth of games, Maclin’s stats with Foles totaled 85 catches for 1,095 yards and seven touchdowns. Also consider that those numbers came during the worst season for the franchise in 15 years. Now, think about Foles and Maclin rekindling their on-field chemistry in Chip Kelly’s prolific offensive machine that set a host of franchise records in its first season.
For the first time in three seasons, Foles and Maclin will have the chance to begin the season together as starters – and healthy. Maclin says he feels 100 percent healthy, and Foles’ face lights up with excitement when he talks about his top target.
"He looks great,” Foles said of Maclin. "I can’t tell a difference at all. He’s a guy who’s going to give it his all every day. Coming out of breaks and everything, going downfield, I think he’s looked great. Obviously he’s working every day to get better, but he’s the same Jeremy and that Jeremy is a guy who wants to get better every day, no matter what. That’s a big injury, any time you hurt your knee, and he’s done everything that he can to get back on the field, so it’s exciting to have him back out there and healthy, and we just have to keep him that way.”
Maclin was the #13 WR in 2010, #31 in 2011 and #27 in 2012 before tearing his ACL last summer. The Eagles don't throw as much under Kelly as they did under Andy Reid, but Maclin has the talent and opportunity -- DeSean Jackson is gone -- to be a fantasy starter in 2014, provided his knee is good to go.
Eagles news
