PHILADELPHIA -- Eagles receiver Jordan Matthews thinks the Carson Wentz-Dak Prescott matchup in the NFC East has a chance to develop into a quarterback rivalry for the ages.
"Peyton [Manning] and [Tom] Brady, that's an extremely high honor to be mentioned with those guys," Matthews said, responding to a reporter who first brought up Manning and Brady. "... I have spoken highly of Carson and know that he could be named with those guys just with more years of playing.
"And I have a high respect for Dak, too. ... You're talking about a guy who is a poised quarterback, he knows what it means to be a leader, he knows what it means to be game-planned for. And I feel like Carson is the same way. The thing I love about Carson is he has that same ability but he also has a chip on his shoulder.
"So you're talking about two guys that could potentially be like a Brady and Peyton rivalry. The only difference is, you're going to get this two times a year, and possibly playoffs."
"You're talking about two guys that could potentially be like a Brady and Peyton rivalry. The only difference is, you're going to get this two times a year, and possibly playoffs."Jordan Matthews on the Carson Wentz-Dak Prescott matchup
Wentz of the Eagles and Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys have a long, long way to go to get into that stratosphere. But the two rookies have shown positive signs early.
For one, their teams are winning with them under center. Per the Elias Sports Bureau, Sunday's game between the Eagles (4-2) and Cowboys (5-1) will be the only instance since the 1970 merger in which the combined win percentage of rookie quarterbacks was .750 or better coming in (minimum three starts).
Their individual numbers are strong as well. Despite a recent downturn, Wentz has completed 64 percent of his throws with eight touchdowns to three interceptions. Prescott is completing 69 percent of his throws with seven touchdowns and just one interception.
"No. 1, they're proven winners," Eagles coach Doug Pederson said. "They know how to win. They know how to lead their teams. Nothing seems to be too big for either one of them. They take it in stride. The ability to protect the football, I think, through these first six, seven games like this has been crucial."
Pederson noted that the Eagles hosted Prescott for a visit during the pre-draft process and "really liked him, liked everything about him as a quarterback." Pederson said he isn't surprised that Prescott is having this type of success.
The Eagles went in a different direction, as they aggressively moved up to No. 2 overall in April's draft to take Wentz. Prescott was not selected until the fourth round, 135th overall.
"I definitely have a chip on my shoulder," Prescott said during a conference call with the Philadelphia media. "I definitely believe in myself and have all the confidence in the world in myself and always have. Yeah, I felt like I should've [gone] high. But I ended up in the right spot and everything worked out."
Prescott enters the first matchup between the two quarterbacks on more of a roll. Wentz's play has tailed off of late. According to ESPN Stats & Information, he has been off-target on 34 percent of his throws over the last two weeks, which is the highest rate in the league. Wentz said recent mechanical issues are related primarily to his footwork.
"I don't think it's anything we really need to overanalyze or freak out about," he said Wednesday.
There are other factors to consider, like the strong play of Dallas' offensive line and the powerful ground game led by fellow rookie Ezekiel Elliott that has taken some of the pressure off Prescott.
However you frame it, both quarterbacks have acquitted themselves well overall early on.
"They're coming out of school, out of college a little more NFL-ready, a little more NFL-prepared to handle, No. 1, the rigors of an NFL season," Pederson said.
"They know how to handle success. They know how to handle media. They know how to handle fans. I think they're just genuinely more prepared coming to us at this level."
Wentz and Prescott got to know each other a little bit during the pre-draft process and were complimentary of one another Wednesday. That familiarity could continue to grow moving forward, as they might be seeing each other twice a year for the foreseeable future.
"Obviously he's a divisional rival," Wentz said, "so very well could happen for a long time."