Let's make one thing clear: Offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo deserves the most blame for the Philadelphia Eagles' struggles. Yet, that doesn't mean that there aren't players who have been playing a large role in the Eagles' collapse on the offensive side of the ball.
The biggest culprit among Philadelphia's starters for the team's underwhelming offensive production is wide receiver A.J. Brown. The star playmaker put together yet another disappointing performance in Week 5's loss to the Denver Broncos despite getting force-fed targets and being heavily involved in the offense.
The Eagles completely abandoned the running game, only running the ball 11 times, yet this seemingly wasn't enough to appease Brown, who seemed disengaged, especially in the second half.
Frustrated AJ Brown Is Putting Himself on Eagles' Chopping Block
The play that made Brown's lack of effort and intensity very obvious happened in the third quarter. The All-Pro WR gave up on his route (h/t @Eaglesfans9) when he was wide open in the middle of the field, resulting in quarterback Jalen Hurts overthrowing the ball. If Brown had kept going instead of slowing down and showing minimal effort in the play, the Eagles could have scored and put the game out of reach for Denver.
The worst part of it all was Brown's remarks after the game, saying that it was just a miss, seemingly putting the blame on Hurts rather than himself.
“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.”
Brown's remarks aren't surprising for anyone familiar with his career. The 28-year-old WR is a vocal player who doesn't shy away from making his feelings known, even if it can be to the detriment of himself and the team. There has been plenty of drama surrounding Brown over the last several seasons, and the Eagles have always found a way to solve it and move on.
At some point, however, the juice is going to stop being worth the squeeze. It's one thing to put up with Brown's complaints about the passing game in a great year, like he did in December of last season, that resulted in Brandon Graham getting involved. It's another thing when he has fewer than 200 yards through five games and is only catching 52.7% of his targets like this season.
Brown is one of the highest-paid WRs in the NFL. His talent and upside are obvious. Yet, his leadership continues to raise questions. If his effort and intensity level continue to lag behind his salary and talent, the Eagles may be forced to make a tough decision before the trade deadline.