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Pederson: Matthews, Agholor know they must get out of drop zone

Eagles coach Doug Pederson expressed the kind of patience with his receiving corps Tuesday that a 2-0 coach can afford to demonstrate, although drops by Jordan Matthews and Nelson Agholor took what could have been two more touchdown passes away from rookie quarterback Carson Wentz in a 29-14 Eagles victory at Chicago.

"They just continue to work every day. Sometimes things like that happen. They know," Pederson said. "They're professionals. They pride themselves, obviously, in catching the football. They were mad at themselves. … Those are big plays.

"I'm not going to stop calling plays to them, because I know they're explosive guys for us. We've just got to continue to work."

Pederson said his feeling when he was a quarterback, and again now that he is calling plays, is "I actually want to call plays to go right back to those guys, and get them right back catching the football and focused in."

Matthews again led the Eagles -- this time with six catches for 71 yards, on nine targets. But a perfect rainbow of a 35-yard touchdown pass went through his hands just before halftime. Agholor caught four passes for 42 yards, on seven targets. He had a chance at a long bomb that was broken up, another long pass that he didn't catch probably should have been pass interference, then, an end zone fade was stripped away from his hands.

The Eagles really need quick healing from dynamic tight end Zach Ertz, who remains "week-to-week," Pederson said. Ertz is not expected to practice or play until after the bye, which follows this week's Pittsburgh game -- perhaps well after.

Other highlights from Pederson's session:

*On going for it on fourth down, which the Eagles have done four times in their first two games, converting each time: "Sometimes it is a feel thing. It depends on how your team is playing. That's just a gut feeling you have as a play-caller. The other thing is, when you talk about math, you're looking at where you are on the field, the actual distance, the line to gain at that time, does a punt vs. a field goal help you in those situations – you're trying to do a quick little calculation of all that, to make those decisions.

"I felt that last night, all of those boxes were checked in order for us to go for it on fourth."

Pederson said he doesn't have a fourth-down chart, like for two-point conversions, but the Birds' analytical team looks at fourth-down scenarios across the league and compiles data.

*Mychal Kendricks suffered a nose fracture and a quad contusion Monday night, Pederson said. "He should be OK for this weekend's game against Pittsburgh," Pederson said.

*Pederson  said Carson Wentz is the smartest rookie quarterback he has been around.