words_Brandon Richard
After a season of much publicized on-field struggles in addition to dealing with injuries, San Diego Chargers rookie running back Ryan Matthews gave us a glimpse of what he can do in the season finale against the Denver Broncos. Matthews carried the ball 26 times for 120 yards, adding 3 touchdowns to help the Bolts hold off the Broncos 33-28. What also may have been Matthews’ breakout game earns him the final NFL Player of the Week nod of the season.
The most impressive thing about Matthews’ touchdowns was that none of the three were goal line punch-ins. Matthews had touchdown runs of 27, 12 and 31 yards as he plowed through the demoralized Denver defense. Each score also proved to be critical, with Denver staging a late-game comeback. Matthews’ 31-yarder in the 4th quarter proved to be the difference in the game. “I thought it was a great start to this new year,” said Phillip Rivers about Matthews’ performance. “He’s going to be a great runner for us, a great player for us. When you’re a rookie, a lot is being asked of you.”
images via Yahoo
