PHILADELPHIA — The A.J. Brown issue, simmering under the surface since last season, finally bubbled over this week and spilled out all over the media.
Brown, 28, one of the NFL’s most explosive receivers, has largely become an afterthought in the Eagles’ offense through nine games. He has 31 catches for 408 yards and is averaging just 6.75 targets.
In his previous six years in the league, he had over 1,000 yards in five of them (and over 1,400 in two) — including with some subpar quarterback play in Tennessee. The only season he didn’t crack 1,000 was when he missed extended time with an injury in 2021.
Brown’s frustrations boiled over in public comments in recent days, and first-year offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo faced the fire on Thursday. He pushed back on the idea that Brown’s usage, or lack thereof, reflects any deeper disconnect.
“When you look back at my time being here with him all the way back to ’22, we’ve had a really strong relationship,” Patullo said. “He’s in my office a ton … talking about football, talking about life, talking about what we can do differently, what we’re doing currently. Nothing has changed in our relationship.”
Patullo said Brown remains central to the weekly plan. “You always want to look to 11, 26, 6 and 88,” he said, listing Brown, running back Saquon Barkley, receiver DeVonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert. “That’s where the ball needs to go.”
But the rookie OC said the offense has been forced into constant in-game adjustments — more this year than at any point in his tenure. He said opponents have shown unscouted looks early, often dictating coverage away from Brown and forcing Philadelphia into a reactive mode.
“A lot of people say, ‘Wait ’til halftime.’ Well, for us, it’s literally been after the first series,” Patullo said. “It’s, ‘Okay, we’ve got to start to adjust now.’ … There’s been more change within the game quickly rather than game-to-game.”
Perhaps, but that’s the job. And in many weeks, the offense has looked good with scripted plays early on and then stalled. In-game adjustments have often been a problem, except for Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams, when the Eagles made a concerted effort to get the ball to Brown and ended up rallying to win.
The wideout sounded off at his locker Wednesday, when he delivered a blistering critique of the offense’s inconsistency and his disappearing role. It came a day after he called the offense a “s- show” during a Madden stream.
“Obviously, I want to win, too,” Brown said. “We can’t just keep slapping the band-aid over the defense doing their job and getting us out of trouble. At what point are we going to pick up our slack as an offense? … Week after week sometimes, we’re not contributing, we’re not doing our job on offense.”
While the Birds sit at 7-2 atop the NFC, the offense ranks among the league’s most inconsistent units in both early-down efficiency and third-and-long conversions, a trend reflected in Brown’s season-long stagnation. Overall, the Eagles have the 23rd-ranked offense in the NFL at 303.2 yards per game.
Brown sees that as part of the problem — a group with elite talent still searching for rhythm. He said it’s not a winning formula for the playoffs.
“You expect to win late in the year and think you can go to it at the end of the year — it’s not going to (expletive) happen,” Brown said. “Last year is what it was. Thanks for the ring. But it’s a new season. We have to adapt. We have to continue to get better, to find new ways.”
Even last February, Brown said the Super Bowl title wasn’t as satisfying as he expected, posting on social media: “I tried to feel how everyone made it seem to be a champion and unfortunately it was short-lived. 2 days to be exact lol… I thought my hard work would be justified by winning it all. It wasn’t. My thrill for this game comes when I dominate. It’s the Hunt that does it for me. It’s when the DB drops his head and surrenders because he can’t F with me.”
Quarterback Jalen Hurts addressed the Brown saga this week.
“A.J. plays a pivotal role in what we’ve been and what we’ve done, and so we’ve just got to continue to grow with that every day,” Hurts said. “I know he’s talked about having a growth mindset and embracing that, so we just need that mentality as we go throughout the season and try and get to where we’re trying to go.
“The more we drive that (the Brown storyline), the more of a distraction it becomes. And I think ultimately it’s about the group.”
The receiver’s frustrations notwithstanding, Patullo agreed the offense has created too many negative plays, a point Brown also underscored. The Eagles lead the league in designed third-and-long runs, a byproduct of penalties, sacks, Hurts holding the ball too long on early downs, and backfield losses behind an O-line that has been banged-up since day one.
“We’ve had more third-and-longs, which is something we’ve got to stay out of,” Patullo said. “We’ve been really good in third-and-short to medium. But the efficiency on first and second down, that’s the key.
“When we’re on schedule, we do a really nice job,” he said. “When we have negative plays or penalties, that’s where we get caught.”
The offense’s inconsistency has made the defense’s steadiness even more essential — a point Brown made repeatedly. On that front, coordinator Vic Fangio’s group continues to deliver.
Fangio praises physicality, preparation
Fangio said the heavy workload for newly acquired edge Jaelan Phillips was intentional. “He’s been playing all year, it’s not like he’s been inactive,” Fangio said. “You guys saw it. He plays hard, he’s strong at the point, good pass rusher. When you shop at Nordstrom, you get good stuff.”
Fangio credited the position coaches and returning veterans for stabilizing a corps that has dealt with injuries, retirements, un-retirements and multiple trades. He also praised DT Moro Ojomo’s intelligence on the fourth-and-one stop that helped swing Monday night’s 10-7 win in Green Bay.
“If you’re a smart player — and Mo is — that’s not rare,” Fangio said.
Second outside cornerback remains a week-to-week puzzle, particularly after Jaire Alexander stepped away from football after the Eagles acquired his services from Baltimore, but Fangio again voiced trust in Adoree’ Jackson (“he’s a survivor”) and said nickel Cooper DeJean remains the starter outside in base looks. Michael Carter II’s addition at nickel “possibly” opens more flexibility.
Thursday practice report
Center Cam Jurgens (knee) was limited. Full participants were long snapper Cal Adomitis (finger), cornerback Jakorian Bennett (pectoral), wide receiver Darius Cooper (shoulder), guard Landon Dickerson (quad), tackle Lane Johnson (ankle), guard/center Willie Lampkin (knee/ankle), outside linebacker Nolan Smith (triceps) and guard Tyler Steen (oblique).
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Source: Berkshire mont