The Ryan Mathews-DeMarco Murray race

BASEBALL PEOPLE will tell you about the beneficial effects of competition within a pitching staff, about how one starter's success can silently challenge the others, and how challenge followed by challenge followed by challenge each time through the rotation can bring out the best among people who compete for a living.

All of which makes you wonder if Ryan Mathews has a chance to spur on DeMarco Murray.

In the ongoing game of "Who Is Assimilating Better?," the leader so far is Mathews. He and Murray arrived this offseason to form a three-headed monster of a backfield for the Eagles along with Darren Sproles. It either is the kind of backfield that Chip Kelly always dreamed about, or the only backfield he could cobble together after he got rid of LeSean McCoy and after Frank Gore changed his mind about coming to Philadelphia. Kelly likely will never really tell the truth about this one, so all we can do is look at what's happening and wonder.

And what happened Sunday against the New Orleans Saints was further evidence that Mathews looks faster and more decisive than Murray at this point. The overall numbers tell a part of the story: Mathews had 73 yards on eight carries while Murray had 83 yards on 20 carries, and each had a touchdown. The numbers suggest the reality on the field - that Mathews was faster to holes, and that Murray seemed to, indeed, leave some meat on the bone (you should excuse the expression). On a day when the offensive line dominated the Saints, there were holes all day. Murray found only some of them.

So, you wonder. There were a few different things going on - more two-tight-end formations, more running plays with the quarterback under center, and maybe the Saints aren't very good - so we are not in the world of the definitive yet. It is just an impression - one hinted at it in previous weeks and more clear this week - that Murray was fine but Mathews was better.

So, you wonder. What is Murray really thinking?

"I definitely feel that we jelled and we played well together," Murray said. Later, he added, "I was able to get into a little rhythm and Ryan did a good job. Sproles came in there and did a good job as well (five carries for 27 yards). Like I said, the offensive line played extremely well today and I think all of us were in rhythm."

For the season, Mathews is averaging 5 yards per carry while Murray is averaging 2.7. In every game they have played together, though, Murray has gotten more carries - and he has publicly lobbied for even more than that. Murray missed one game, against the Jets, with a hamstring problem. As we try to figure out exactly who fits where, it is only fair to factor the hamstring into the calculus. Nobody has said anything about it still being an issue, and maybe it isn't. Then again, it wouldn't be the first hamstring to linger and nag for this long. There is still a chance that, say, after the bye week, Murray will be more explosive and more decisive, the combination of health and comfort in the offense turning him into more of the runner the Eagles were expecting.

But in the here and now, Mathews looks to be the better fit. Balancing that against Murray's bigger salary and Murray's stated desire to see more of the ball is why Chip Kelly makes the big money. The guess is that he will continue to give Murray the majority of the carries, hoping that he will have a breakout kind of game - and maybe that will happen, or maybe the offense will build off this win and begin to become the force we all expected, all of which will render the point moot.

Expectations, then. When Mathews arrived in town as one part of a troika, he knew what he had gotten himself into. He must have daydreamed, like the rest of us, what it might look like and how it might work. So was this the first game that fit the daydream?

"Yeah, it is," Mathews said. "Just everyone feeding off each other - that's why I signed up. There are a lot of guys here that can make big plays. You saw it today. But we can only get better. It doesn't stop today. We can only get better and keep moving forward."

You know when this is going to be an issue? Maybe as early as next Monday night, against the Giants, with 5 minutes to go and a four-point lead. Who will get the ball? Answer that one and you will know if Chip Kelly sees the same difference between the running backs that the stats and that yesterday showed.

In the meantime, though, Ryan Mathews continues to make a statement. At this point, it is up to DeMarco Murray to form a reply.

On Twitter: @theidlerich

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