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Carson Wentz and Jordan Matthews: A quick connection

Carson Wentz connected with Jordan Matthews for a 12-yard touchdown on Sunday and the two sought each other for a celebration. They were about to jump up and bump shoulders, a popular post-touchdown display, before stopping at the last moment. They pretended to straighten neckties, then proceeded to share the type of earnest handshake reserved for the end of the job interview.

Carson Wentz connected with Jordan Matthews for a 12-yard touchdown on Sunday and the two sought each other for a celebration. They were about to jump up and bump shoulders, a popular post-touchdown display, before stopping at the last moment. They pretended to straighten neckties, then proceeded to share the type of earnest handshake reserved for the end of the job interview.

The celebration was caught on national television, leading to social media curiosity. And the explanation Matthews shared after the game offered insight into the relationship between the Eagles' franchise quarterback and their No. 1 wide receiver.

"We were thinking about something that represents both of us," Matthews said. "So usually when guys score touchdowns or something crazy happens, they jump into each other's arms and they call it getting 'hype.' But with us, we want to play with each other for a long time. We feel like we work hard enough to where we should expect the touchdown and we should expect great things to happen. So every time I run up to him, we fake like we are going to jump into each other, then say, 'Nah,' put the tie on, and shake hands. So it is like no hype, straight business."

Wentz, who is not nearly as loquacious as Matthews, said the celebration is "all business." He has not hidden his affinity for Matthews, a respected player in the locker room who has embraced Wentz after forging a strong relationship with Sam Bradford.

Matthews has been impressed with Wentz's "swagger" - the receiver didn't expect Wentz to have so much, although the rookie didn't know whether he should take that as a compliment or an insult.

"He wears an arm sleeve - I'm like, 'Where did you find that?' " Matthews said. "He's got swagger to him. He's got a bounce to him."

The on-field chemistry came even though Matthews and Wentz missed most of the summer. But their injuries also allowed them to work together. Matthews caught passes from Wentz in a workout before the third preseason game that proved important for both players.

"The one thing that Carson and Jordan did, even while they were sort of down in preseason, is they worked together," coach Doug Pederson said. "They threw routes together. They worked out together. So they maintained that chemistry that they needed."

Wentz's work ethic helped endear him to Matthews, who has a reputation for devoted film study and extra work on the Jugs machine. Matthews ate breakfast at the team hotel at 8 a.m. Sunday when he saw Wentz on his way to watch more film.

"Everybody is thinking that it is a crazy thing, but that is his standard," Matthews said. "I tell people all of the time that you have to work hard until hard work is your standard. So I looked at it like, 'This guy is working hard.' No. If he doesn't do that, then he isn't Carson Wentz anymore. That is who he is, and we are fortunate to have him."

They also share a passion for religion. Wentz has a tattoo on his wrist that reads "AO1," standing for "Audience of One." Shortly after Wentz arrived in Philadelphia, Matthews put that phrase in his Twitter profile. When discussing Wentz after the Eagles' win on Sunday, Matthews referred to that devotion in his praise for the quarterback.

"He doesn't play for you. He doesn't play for his parents. He doesn't play for me," Matthews said." He plays for God straight up. So when you do that, there is no pressure. It is just straight up. So that is why any time he says something he says, 'AO1,' and everybody wants to say, 'Oh, is it this? Or is it this?' No. He puts himself in a position where he doesn't have to put pressure on himself. . . . I knew that about him and that he has got the skill set, and he has got the body and he has got the arm, and he works his butt off every single day."

Another way Matthews has gone about forming a relationship with Wentz has been through music. Matthews is a devoted fan of Kanye West. He asked Wentz what people listen to in North Dakota, joking that he doesn't know any rappers from that area.

Wentz likes country singer Jason Aldean. When Wentz's name was called at the draft in April, Aldean's "Fly Over States" played over the speakers in the Chicago auditorium.

Matthews went to college at Vanderbilt, so his time in Nashville exposed him to country music. He purchased an Aldean album to understand Wentz's taste.

"I thought if I'm going to learn this guy's mind-set, I have to listen to his music," Matthews said after the Eagles' Week 1 win, when he caught Wentz's first touchdown pass. "I listened to the whole album and it was pretty good. There's a song on there called 'Fly Over States,' and it made sense because where he lives is a flyover state. I've never been to North Dakota, so I got a feel for who he is. He's a humble guy from North Dakota and I'm a humble guy from Alabama. The bottom line is that I got to know him a little bit through that."

Matthews made a deal with Wentz. If the receiver listened to Jason Aldean, then Wentz needed to listen to Kanye West. Matthews thought that would help the quarterback understand his new top target.

"Kanye's good, too," Wentz said. "I still like my country, though, first."

Extra point

Wentz was named NFC offensive player of the week for his performance against the Steelers, when he finished 23 for 31 for 301 yards and two touchdowns.

The last Eagles player to win offensive player of the week was Jeremy Maclin in 2014. The last Eagles quarterback to win it was Nick Foles in 2013. The last Eagles rookie to win the award was Charlie Garner in 1994.

zberman@phillynews.com

@ZBerm