The Philadelphia Eagles should be the happiest team in the NFL after improving to 11-2 and winning their ninth consecutive game after defeating the Carolina Panthers 22-16 in Week 14.
Not everyone on Philly’s roster is feeling the love from that winning streak.
Wide receivers DeVonta Smith (4 receptions, 37 yards) and A.J. Brown (4 receptions, 43 yards) both expressed frustration with the passing game after Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts went 14-of-21 passing for 108 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions against the Panthers.
One of those touchdowns even went to Smith, who at least qualified his frustrations by saying they just pertained to the game against the Panthers.
Brown gave no such quarter.
When asked what was wrong with the offense following the game, he gave a 1-word answer: “Passing.”
Brown’s frustration isn’t unfounded, but it is unusual for a team looked at as a legitimate NFC contender.
“There were a couple instances when Brown cleanly beat 1-on-1 coverage and was not targeted,” ESPN’s Tim McManus wrote. “He did not have a pass thrown to him until the waning moments of the first half. He tossed his helmet after coming off the field following a three-and-out in the second quarter.”
Brown Has Seemed Unstoppable at Different Times
Brown signed a 4-year, $96 million contract extension in April 2024 after back-to-back NFL All-Pro and Pro Bowl seasons with over 1,400 receiving yards in 2022 and 2023.
With just 4 games left in the regular season, Brown is on track to have his worst statistical season since he had 63 receptions for 869 yards and 5 touchdowns in 2021, which was his final season with the Tennessee Titans. Headed into the Week 15 game against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers, Brown has 48 receptions for 836 yards and 5 touchdowns while missing 3 games due to a hamstring injury.
“Their offense is not better than it was last year,” The Ringer’s Sheil Kapadia said on “The Philly Special” podcast on December 8. “It’s either the same or worse than last year. The passing game is worse than last year … I don’t think Jalen Hurts played well today. He’s holding the ball forever. They have so many plays that are just a sack, a scramble or a throwaway.”
While Brown and Hurts have appeared to butt heads at times over the last 3 seasons, the two have also made franchise and NFL history together. In 2022, Brown’s 1,496 receiving yards set a franchise record. In 2023, Brown had 6 consecutive games with over 125 receiving yards to set an NFL record.
Passing Game’s Diminished Role and Barkley’s Rise
The flip side of Brown’s argument about passing being the problem with the offense would be that the problem is he’s being selfish and a bad teammate because he’s not the centerpiece of the offense in 2024. That’s been running back Saquon Barkley.
Barkley kept his torrid pace going with 20 carries for 124 yards against the Panthers and set the Eagles single-season franchise record with 1,623 rushing yards. Barkley signed a 3-year, $37.7 million free agent contract with the Eagles in March 2024 and has been a legitimate NFL MVP candidate in his first season — no running back has won NFL MVP since Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson in 2012.
