Still want Tim Tebow? Matt Barkley steals show vs. Colts

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Before the Tim Tebow Show started with 7:08 in the third quarter Sunday at the Linc, the baking fans had to watch a pair of other quarterbacks.

Mark Sanchez played the first two series of the Eagles' 36-10 preseason win over the Colts, completing 2 of 7 passes — one a hospital pass over the middle to Jordan Matthews for an 18-yard gain, the other a high and inside bullet to Nelson Agholor, who stretched out to snag it before turning upfield for 34-yard score.

Sanchez's most glaring miss came a play earlier, a blatant overthrow of Matthews, who almost certainly would have scored on the play.

"I'm sure he'd want a couple of those throws back just because they were a little high," head coach Chip Kelly said.

Then Matt Barkley entered the game and reminded everyone that he was still on the team. He finished 12 for 20 passing for 192 yards and an impressive 9.6 yards per attempt.

"I thought he did a real nice job," Kelly said.

Drafted in the fourth round in 2013, Barkley has played in four regular season games — admittedly a small sample size — and has yet to throw a touchdown pass. He's 30 for 50 passing for 300 yards and four interceptions.

The luster that came with his well-decorated USC career — he still holds the Pac-12 record with 116 touchdown passes (Marcus Mariota is next with 111) — has worn off.

It now belongs to Tebow, whose versatility and trendiness has piqued the fans' (or at least some) interest. But first and foremost, a quarterback's job is to throw the ball, and Barkley showed everyone he can still do it.

"I just wanted to play good football," Barkley said. "If I made a statement, so be it. But I wanted to come out and make plays."

His first pass was a bullet to a covered Matthews in stride for 26 yards. His second was a pretty ball — albeit a bit underthrown — down the left sideline to Miles Austin, who outmuscled second-string corner Chance Casey for a 39-yard reception. Those plays set up a 9-yard touchdown run by Kenjon Barner.

On his second series, after finding tight end Trey Burton for 21 yards, Barkley rolled out, had his pass swatted and picked.

But don't blame him entirely.

"We screwed up a little bit on that one naked [bootleg] where it ended up getting tipped, but that guy should have been blocked," Kelly said. "Our tight end was lined up too tight, we should have had a pin block on him and got him to the corner and given him an opportunity to throw it."

Then late in the half, Barkley led a 56-yard scoring drive, completing passes to tight end Eric Tomlinson (19 yards) and Agholor (15) to set up a 40-yard field goal from Cody Parkey, who had a shaky afternoon.

Barkley had a shaky 3rd-and-12 pass sail through Agholor's hands but should thank the first-round pick for later drawing a pass interference call on an underthrown pass down the sideline.

But put those blemishes aside. Barkley showed that he just might be the guy who just three years ago was considered a first-round pick.

"Just experience," Barkley said. "Confident in my arm, confident with the timing with the receivers. My knowledge of the offense has grown tremendously over the last year, so the combination of all those things definitely helped me play fast and comfortable.

"Feel like I've come a long way. I feel great that I can lead this team, score points and move the ball down the field. I was happy with how we drove the ball today. I feel like we left a little meat on the bone on some of those drives, some of those third downs, but overall for a first preseason game I thought we did well."

And as for Tebow ...

“He’s a fan favorite and he’s a good teammate," Barkley said. "He played well today. He did a good job. It’s pretty funny to see their reaction. It happens wherever he goes, as it should. He’s a good person. I love him as a teammate. It was a good showing.”

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