There was a narrative we heard leading up to the Philadelphia Eagles' clash with the Carolina Panthers. The Birds haven't lost with A.J. Brown in the lineup. That's true, but something else has entered the conversation as of late. A.J. Brown isn't getting many targets.
Philly is 10-0 with A.J. in the lineup. That's a fact! It's also factual to state he hasn't had the oppotunity to put his stamp on many of those wins. He was only targeted four times in the most recent win, one that was eeked out over what was supposed to be an inferior Carolina Panthers team.
Jalen was asked about that postgame, keeping his receivers (A.J. and DeVonta Smith) happy and whatnot. His response was as follows.
"I play my role in how we execute, but ultimately, it's about what position we put ourselves in. It's not my choice"
Some call that a word salad. Those are statements that are made when there isn't much said. Or, we could call that 'coach speak' which is a distant cousin. Some might go so far as to label it as both.
Wins are wins, and we get all that. Sometimes, on a team loaded with stars, some of the guys will be left out of the offensive showcase, but we don't expect to see that every week with one player do we?
A.J. caught four passes and tallied 43 yards receiving vs. the Panthers on Sunday, but one of the takeaways from this game involves offensive struggles.
That will be discussed in the coming days. We promise you that, especially seeing as how the Pittsburgh Steelers are on the horizon.
A.J. Brown gets brutally honest about the Eagles' passing attack.
While it may seem trivial to pick apart wins like they are losses, this is Philly. You almost know we're going to hear abiut slow starts when they involve an offense with this much talent.
The Eagles have scored a league-low 17 points during the first quarter of games this season. They were again blanked in Week 14. We'd say A.J. Brown had a lot to say, but he didn't. He's clearly frustrated, and honestly, we have no issue with that.
“Passing.”
— Barstool Philly (@BarstoolPhilly) December 8, 2024
— A.J. Brown on what things the Eagles’ offense needs to improve upon#FlyEaglesFly
pic.twitter.com/gqKLIeoWn9
AJ Brown: What’s wrong with the offense: “Passing.” He was not happy, saying offense isn’t good enough right now. #Eagles
— Martin Frank (@Mfranknfl) December 8, 2024
Our theory? If you get the ball to A.J. Brown early, that will probably eliminate all of those slow starts we keep seeing. Something tells us the game plan couldn't have been to get the ball to Jahan Dotson and Grant Calcaterra early.
A.J. was targeted ten times in Week 1. He hasn't been targeted that often since then. He has only been targeted six times or more in seven of the ten games he has appeared in.
He hasn't exceeded 119 yards receiving. He did that in Week 1. He has scored one TD since Week 7 when he hauled in six passes during a 109-yard outburst vs. the Los Angeles Rams.
Philly will be fine. We've said this before. We want our best players to want the ball. We will, however, repeat what we just said. If A.J. Brown gets the ball early and more often, that will cure the slow starts and offensive droughts.