In his college debut at Missouri, Jeremy Maclin caught two passes for 43 yards and a touchdown. He also returned a punt 66 yards for another touchdown.
Not a bad start.
While Maclin would love to accomplish that kind of impact, that's not necessarily the goal that he has in mind as the Eagles open the preseason Thursday night against the Patriots.
"It's not about making an impression. It's about going out there and playing football," Maclin said. "You're not going out there trying to impress everybody. That's when you lose track of what you're doing. You go out there and play football and you be consistent and that impresses everybody. You don't go out there and try to do spectacular things. You make plays. You use your natural ability and everything else will come for itself."
Despite missing the first 10 days of training camp due to his rookie contract negotiations, Maclin appears to be quickly making up for lost time. Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg praised his progress saying that he's still on track to be involved in specific packages this season. The fact that he's listed as the No. 2 X-receiver behind Kevin Curtis also shows the confidence that the Eagles have in him. Now, it's a matter of proving the coaches that their faith is warranted.
"I'm happy and I hope I can keep pushing," Maclin said. "Hopefully, I can solidify that by playing well in the preseason. I'm excited about this opportunity and I'm going to make the most out of it."
Maclin added that he's picking up the playbook "pretty easy" saying that the long hours of studying during the minicamps and Organized Team Activities are paying off. We'll get an idea on Wednesday of just how involved Maclin will be in the offense against the Patriots. Whenever his number is called, Maclin said that there's no holding back just because it's preseason.
"No, I have to go out there 110 percent each snap, each play and don't take any plays off, don't ease your way into anything," Maclin said. "It's time to play football now."
Amen.
-- Posted by Chris McPherson, 6:15 p.m., August 11
