Chris Matthews is proving he's not just a one-hit wonder.
The wide receiver seemingly came out of nowhere to put up 104 receiving yards in last year's Super Bowl with Seattle, and now he's taking advantage of his opportunities to establish himself in Baltimore.
Matthews has carved out a role for himself since Baltimore signed him to the active roster earlier this month, and he caught his first touchdown as a Raven last week against the Steelers.
"That's what I've always been trying to show – I'm more than just one game," Matthews said.
"I always wanted to come out and give it 110 percent, and let them know that I can play, that I'm still going to be here, I'm still going to do what I did in the Super Bowl every day. That's kind of what I wanted to keep on showing, so I hope this game helped put emphasis on that."
Matthews finished last week's game with three catches for 19 yards, including the 8-yard touchdown on Baltimore's opening series. It was his first career touchdown in the regular season, and the first time he found the end zone since the Super Bowl.
The 6-foot-5, 218-pound receiver has given the Ravens another viable option in their stable of young receivers. He has competed with players like Jeremy Butler and Daniel Brown, and Matthews' playing time has increased over the last two weeks.
Matthews has also made a mark on special teams. He's taken over as a gunner on the punt coverage units, and he showed off his skill in that area when he pinned the Steelers deep in their own territory by catching one of Sam Koch's punts on the fly.
Matthews is an exclusive rights free agent (ERFA) at the end of the season, but he has made a case for the Ravens to keep him in the fold for another year. As an ERFA, if the Ravens make Matthews a qualifying offer this offseason, even at a league-minimum salary, he cannot sign with another team.
"It means a lot, just finally getting an opportunity to play," Matthews said. "It's been a long fight, a constant grind. I think the biggest thing is me just learning patience and letting the game come to me, instead of trying to force the issue on everything."
The receiver position has been somewhat disappointing because of all the injuries this season – Steve Smith Sr., Breshad Perriman, Michael Campanaro and Marlon Brown are all on injured reserve – but those injures has have created opportunities for players like Matthews.
"It's exciting in the sense that we have numbers," Head Coach John Harbaugh said. "I think we have a lot of numbers of some valuable, talented guys with upside… It's going to be really interesting when we come back. The competition level is going to be high; it's going to be on, and as a coach, you love that."
