Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown was frustrated in Week 2.
His team beat the Minnesota Vikings 34-28 to improve to 2-0, but TV cameras caught Brown on the sideline in the fourth quarter having a heated discussion with quarterback Jalen Hurts. Brown went largely overlooked in the second half of the game, catching four passes for just 29 yards. Coach Nick Sirianni eventually stepped in and assured Brown he remained a focal point of the Eagles offense.
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The coach was right. And since then, Brown has been a man on a mission. He erupted in Week 3 with nine catches for 131 yards and has since reeled off performances of 175, 127, 131 and 137 receiving yards.
The last one came in a convincing 31-17 victory over the usually electrifying Miami Dolphins on Sunday, when the fifth-year pro continued his assault on NFL secondaries with a season-high 10 receptions and a touchdown.
Brown, who has 52 catches this season, trails only Miami’s Tyreek Hill in season receiving yards (Hill has 902; Brown 809). The Eagles wide receiver is on pace to shatter career highs in both categories, and Sunday he joined Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson as the only NFL players since the 1970 merger to have five straight games of at least 125 receiving yards.
“Shoutout to Calvin Johnson, man,” said Brown, who was stunned to learn Sunday he had equaled the feat of the former Detroit Lions great. “Just to be beside his name, it says a lot. … That guy’s a Hall of Fame receiver, something I hope to be one day.”
Brown’s dominance on a talented yet inconsistent Eagles offense has helped Philadelphia (6-1) remain one of league’s elite teams through seven weeks. Sunday, the Eagles visit the Washington Commanders in a matchup of NFC East rivals.
GO DEEPERVic's Picks, Week 8: Washington's Sam Howell needs to let it flyBefore this season, Brown had recorded consecutive games of 125 yards or more just once: a 133-yard outing in Week 7 of the 2021 season, followed by a 155-yard day. He’d posted back-to-back 100-yard games just two other times: in 2019, with 153 and 114 yards in Weeks 14 and 15; and last season, with 181 and 103 yards in Weeks 15 and 16.
Brown had no concrete answer about what has sparked such an eruption, but Hurts, his coaches and even opponents attribute it to three keys: work ethic, ball skills and mindset.
“He’s a great player, and he works really hard to be where he is and do what he’s doing. And we need that from him,” Hurts said. “He’s worked at it and it’s showing.”
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Said offensive coordinator Brian Johnson: “He works extremely hard throughout the course of the week in practice and preparing and getting themselves ready to play. … He’s a pleasure and a joy to work with every single day — just the energy that he brings, the effort that he plays with, obviously the production.”
Brown said his quest for excellence begins with an attention to detail during practice. He then carries that approach over to games, where his goal is to maintain consistency.
“Each and every possession, I’m trying to stay locked in with my routes and my pad level and making sure I catch the ball — just breaking it down to the smallest little T,” he said. “Whatever I have at the end of the game, I have at the end of a game. But I know when I have an opportunity, I know I have to come alive.”
Brown more than comes alive when capitalizing on opportunities, especially in contested situations.
They’re becoming common occurrences: Hurts and the Eagles in need of a big moment, and the quarterback rifling the ball in the direction of No. 11. In some of those high-stakes situations, the receiver doesn’t even appear open. Hurts has learned that appearances don’t always matter. Working with Brown for the last year-plus has taught him to trust the 6-foot-1, 226-pound target and his hands.
Brown can have one or even two defensive backs draped over him, or going up for the pass at the same time, and still manage to pluck the ball from the air in traffic, maintain possession and deliver a big gainer for the Eagles.
“Man, A.J. is a phenomenal player,” Sirianni said after Sunday’s performance.
Among Brown’s big moments: a 32-yard catch late in the second quarter to set up a touchdown and his 14-yard touchdown catch late in the third quarter that broke a 17-17 tie and gave the Eagles a lead they never relinquished. Later, in the fourth quarter, he had a 42-yard reception in double coverage that set up the door-slamming touchdown.
AJ BROWN YOU ARE RIDICULOUS
📺: #MIAvsPHI on NBC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/0rIJPFKW6L pic.twitter.com/nHBEYMGNT4— NFL (@NFL) October 23, 2023
Much of Brown’s work came under heavy coverage, often because of double teams. According to Next Gen Stats, Brown averaged just 1.9 yards of separation on his receptions Sunday, which ranked among the tightest coverages league-wide last weekend. By comparison, the largest margin across the league was 4.8 yards of separation generated by San Francisco’s Jauan Jennings. The blanket coverage obviously didn’t faze Brown.
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“He just has this unbelievable ability to come down with the ball,” Sirianni said. “Nobody catches the ball as pretty as A.J. Brown. Nobody.”
Asked about what separates Brown from other receivers, a defensive coach who recently faced Brown and the Eagles said: “Ball skills. Physicality. And he’ll be given every 50/50 opportunity available. Just a dog.”
One NFL talent evaluator likened Brown’s mindset and physicality to that of a defensive player because he’s so aggressive and embraces contact rather than shy away from it, as some receivers do.
The final aspect working for Brown is that he’s part of an offensive unit that features so many weapons, which makes it hard for defenders to double-team him continuously.
“He’s on a tear right now, and the other guys are playing good, too,” Sirianni said. “So, why is he on a tear? Well, because DeVonta Smith is on one side and Dallas Goedert is in the middle and D’Andre Swift is in the backfield, and Julio Jones is here now.”
The Eagles gave Brown a four-year, $100 million contract after acquiring him in a trade with the Tennessee Titans in April 2022, so it’s not like they weren’t aware of his breakout potential. He made them look smart last season by achieving a career-high 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns on 88 catches and helping the Eagles reach the Super Bowl. But now thanks to improved comfort, focus and understanding how to maximize his mental and physical gifts, Brown has taken another leap forward.
If he maintains this pace, he’ll finish the season with 126 receptions and 1,964 yards — a total that would tie Johnson’s single-season yardage record. Such an accomplishment would leave Brown awestruck once again, but his ultimate goal involves hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.
Given his play, the Eagles’ overall talent and how close they came to winning the Super Bowl last season, that’s not impossible to envision.
(Photo: Bill Streicher / USA Today)
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Mike Jones joined The Athletic as a national NFL writer in 2022 after five years at USA Today, where he covered the NFL, and eight years at The Washington Post, where he covered the Washington Commanders. He previously covered the Washington Wizards for The Washington Times. Mike is a native of Warrenton, Va.