The Philadelphia Eagles' offense has been under fire all season. While offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo has rightfully been receiving the most criticism, there are several players who have also been heavily scrutinized. Among those is wide receiver AJ Brown, who is currently on pace for the least productive season of his career, both in terms of yards and touchdowns. He has been vocal about expressing his frustrations about the offense all season. Whether there is going to be improvements on that front on Sunday remains to be seen, but Brown personally has an excellent opportunity to silence his doubters.
The Minnesota Vikings are currently the second-best passing defense in the league, only allowing 157.6 passing yards per game. They will be coming off a bye week and will be well-rested. Not only does this provide an excellent opportunity for a statement game for Brown and the Eagles, but it is also a chance to get one over former Eagles cornerback Isaiah Rodgers.
All Signs Point to a Breakout Game from AJ Brown
Rodgers has been a revelation for the Vikings all season. He currently ranks fifth in overall defensive grade and third in coverage grade among all cornerbacks, per Pro Football Focus. Earlier this season, he had a remarkable perfect game per PFF, receiving a 99.9 defensive grade in Week 3 against the Bengals. He is certainly making the Eagles, who are having serious defensive backfield concerns, regret a few offseason decisions.
Brown revealed his excitement about facing Rodgers on Sunday. The star receiver said that he is looking forward to go up against his friend, adding, "it should be fun", per Eagles reporter for 94WIP, Devan Kaney.
As good a season as the former Eagle is having, Brown has serious physical advantages over Rodgers. At 6-foot-1 and 226 lbs, Brown has a chance to physically overpower the 5-foot-10, 176 lbs Rodgers when they are matched up. If they aren't matched up, it will be Byron Murphy Jr. covering Brown. While he is slightly bigger than Rodgers, the Eagles' star receiver still has two inches and over 30 pounds on him.
Brown is catching a career-low 55.6% of his targets so far this season. He hasn't been able to take advantage of his physical prowess in the first six weeks of the season. Going up against a former teammate and friend, on the road, against one of the best defenses in the league, after an entire week of criticism, should provide all the motivation needed to have a breakout performance. Brown has only one 100+ yard game this season, and if he can get his second in Minnesota, he will have done a lot to erase all the noise surrounding this Eagles team.