The Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive woes struck again as they suffered a 21-17 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday afternoon. The loss saw Philadelphia blow a 17-3 lead at home, and a key play came late in the third quarter when A.J. Brown found himself wide open in the middle of the field.
Brown had been the subject of controversy over the first four games this season, demanding offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo call his number more despite Philadelphia’s 4-0 start. When Brown had his moment to shine, he appeared to let up on his route (h/t @Eaglesfans9), allowing quarterback Jalen Hurts to overthrow him and send the Eagles into a 3rd-and-17.
The play was instrumental in the Broncos’ comeback. If Brown had scored, it would have put the Eagles ahead 24-3. But the most mindblowing thing wasn’t that Hurts and Brown couldn’t connect on the play; it was that Brown failed to take accountability when speaking to WIP’s Eliot Shorr-Parks after the game.
“From my point of view, it was just a miss,” Brown said. “It’s not that I didn’t think (the ball) wasn’t coming. I looked up and didn’t see the ball. I looked back and didn’t see the ball. And then the ball was thrown, so like I said, I think we just missed.”
A.J. Brown’s Latest Drama May Sabotage Eagles’ 2025 Chances
Brown's comments drew plenty of ire after the game. Brown has spent the first four weeks of the season making cryptic posts and criticizing Patullo to the point where Patullo devised a pass-heavy game plan that may have cost Philadelphia the game. Browns’ comments are also concerning compared to Hurts’s after the game, where he took the blame for most of the Eagles' struggles over the first five games.
“I can’t tell you what the issue is,” Hurts said via Eagles Nation on X. “Ultimately, I can take accountability for everything, and take responsibility for it all. The lack of execution, the lack of the sense of urgency. I take responsibility for all of it and I’m just trying to find solutions for it.”
On one hand, this is how the Eagles have operated over the past 13 months. A team with the chemistry of a bad science fair project, head coach Nick Sirianni has done an excellent job of diffusing drama in the past, including when Brown broke out a book on the sidelines after not getting the ball during a playoff win against the Green Bay Packers last January.
On the other hand, Brown’s situation is becoming increasingly toxic to the team. Brown got what he wanted, and when the moment of truth came, he pulled up on his route because he didn’t think he was getting the ball. All receivers have the drive to want the ball in key moments, but in this one, Brown was nowhere to be found, potentially putting his own agenda in front of the team.
The worst part is that the Eagles have no way to get out of it, as cutting or trading Brown isn’t even an option until 2027 unless the Eagles want to take on in excess of $45 million in dead money. Perhaps Sirianni has another way to have both sides come together on a short week before their Week 6 matchup against the New York Giants. But something needs to happen soon before Brown sabotages the team from the inside.