When news broke that AJ Brown was not only going to be absent from the Philadelphia Eagles home opener against the Atlanta Falcons but might miss “a few weeks” due to a hamstring injury, an added insult to the ultimate injury of a Week 2 loss.
Taking the field with DeVonta Smith locked in as WR1, recently acquired PSU product Juan Dotson elevated to WR2, and Britian Covey of all people among the team’s target leaders, Jalen Hurts struggled to move the ball all night without his favorite target, with fans wondering over and over again on social media if things would be different if Brown was on the field.
Asked by reporters how it felt to take the field without Brown after the Eagles loss in Week 2, Hurts admitted that the team certainly missed him before noting that they made do with who they had.
“Obviously, he’s one of the best receivers in the league. Of course, he’s definitely missed, but it doesn’t change the trust that I have in everybody else to step up,” Hurts told reporters. “I think we had, you know, guys step up in a big way. [Eagles WR Britain] Covey made some great plays out there. [Eagles WR DeVonta Smith] made plays. We just didn’t meet the moment in terms of it wasn’t for us tonight.”
Did the Eagles suffer without Brown? You bet, but did it actually change the team’s game plan for the week? In Hurts’ opinion, that question should go more to the coaching staff; all he knows is that the whole team didn’t produce and that they lost the game as a result.
“I think that’s a [Eagles Offensive Coordinator] Kellen [Moore] question, and I trust him with everything as we continue to build this and find our rhythm and build our rapport with one another,” Hurts noted. “But in the end, you know, guys had an opportunity to step up, and I think guys did that. We’ve got to be better. I’ve got to be better. But I feel like we went out there and played really hard, we just didn’t take advantage of some opportunities.”
In a game of inches, where a few decisions, drops, penalties, and non-called penalties marked the difference between a comfortable victory and a crushing defeat, having Brown might have provided just enough of an edge to put Philadelphia on top instead of the Week 2 dog house. For everyone’s sake, let’s hope Brown’s timeline is a bit shorter than Lisa Salters reported, as the Eagles need him back badly.
Nick Sirianni doesn’t know the exact return timeline for AJ Brown
Asked about Salters’ reporting during his post-show media press conference, Sirianni revealed that the Eagles haven’t officially ruled on Brown’s timeline and that, until they do, he won’t commit to the length of his absence one way or the other.
“We’ll see. We’ll see. I don’t know that yet. You know I won’t give you that information yet because I don’t know. We’ll see how that goes.”
On paper, it makes sense that Sirianni wouldn’t want to paint himself into a corner if he doesn’t have to, as Brown could miss another week, a month, or no time at all and still fall within the timeline Salters reported during Monday Night Football. Still, for Philadelphia’s sake, let’s hope Brown is back in time for Week 3, as the 2024 New Orleans Saints team is no joke.
