‘I’m not that guy’: Eagles’ A.J. Brown puts Saturday’s sideline frustrations to bed
Brown, who was visibly upset both due to his lack of work and an injury tweak, was held to three catches and 22 yards. He says that was due to him just being hungry to get into a rhythm.
A.J. Brown can’t be satisfied.
The Eagles’ star wide receiver held court Wednesday for the first time since cameras caught him visibly frustrated on the sideline Saturday during his team’s playoff rout of the New York Giants. Brown had three catches for 22 yards and was shown on the broadcast being consoled by coach Nick Sirianni in the fourth quarter of the Eagles’ 38-7 divisional-round win.
Sirianni said earlier this week that Brown’s frustration came from the limited targets (six) and the mentality that he has to “crave” the football. When asked about Sirianni’s comments, Brown offered a similar sentiment.
» READ MORE: Poised for dominance: 2022 Eagles look more like 2001 than 2017
“If you throw the ball to me 100 times, I’m going to want it 101 times,” Brown said. “I just feel like I can change the game at any moment. Getting the ball often keeps you going, keeps you in a rhythm, it definitely puts you in the zone, keeps you locked in. Of course I want the ball.”
Brown’s frustration also came in part because of an apparent injury suffered midway through the fourth quarter Saturday. He was slow to get up after an incomplete pass intended for him, and gingerly jogged off a few plays later when he took a hard fall after another intended pass hit the grass a few feet in front of him in the end zone.
Brown avoided going into much detail about the injury, only confirming that he’d be ready to play Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game.
“I’m good to go,” Brown said. “That’s all you need to know.”
Both Brown’s catches and yardage total against the Giants ranked among the lowest he has had in his first season with the Eagles. His previous season lows came against the Washington Commanders in Week 12, when he managed one catch for 7 yards while nursing an ankle injury. Aside from that loss, Brown had been held to fewer than three catches only one other time and had not totaled fewer than 30 yards in a game all season.
Sirianni said Brown’s status as an All-Pro receiver comes by way of the desire to be a focal point of the offense even in a blowout win. He also noted that Brown made a key block to free up DeVonta Smith for a touchdown off a screen pass and that Brown was celebrating with teammates in the locker room after the game.
“That’s what you want from your receivers, to want to have the football,” Sirianni said. “Part of the reason why receivers are good is because they want and crave the football. They want the ball to change the game. But make no mistake about it, he was thrilled that we won the football game. Always wants to be involved, obviously, in the plan.”
“He blocked his butt off,” Sirianni added. “And you could see how excited he was when he sprang that block for DeVonta’s touchdown.”
Since the Eagles traded for Brown at the draft, sending first- and third-round picks to the Tennessee Titans and subsequently signing him to a four-year, $100 million extension, he has been mindful of the dynamic between him and the Eagles’ other high-volume receiving options, Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert.
Even when he’s frustrated with his role in a game like Saturday’s, Brown said he tries to go about things the right way instead of becoming a distraction.
“I’m never the receiver that’s going to go on the sidelines or try to cause problems on the sidelines,” Brown said. “I’m not that guy. I think that’s what people describe as a diva, but I’m not that person. I’m a guy who goes to talk to the quarterback or the [offensive coordinator] and [does] it that way. I’m not really a guy to try to cause commotion on the sideline. I’ve never been that guy.”
Brown’s hankering for targets could be better fulfilled this Sunday. The 49ers have one of the best defenses in the NFL, but the group has given up big numbers to elite receivers and can be susceptible to deep passes. The Niners are one of the best teams at limiting plays of more than 20 yards, but they have given up a league-worst six completions of more than 50 yards this season.
» READ MORE: The Eagles’ Nick Sirianni was robbed of NFL coach of the year. Or was he?
Especially against the 49ers’ No. 2-ranked rushing defense, the Eagles may need to give Brown and Smith a heavier dose of targets to generate offense. That opportunity, Brown said, is what he’s focused on.
“It’s a new week,” Brown said. “We’re in the NFC championship and we’re moving forward. It wasn’t anything like serious, but I’m moving forward. I know I’ve got a big week ahead of me. That’s the only thing I’m worried about, I’m not worried about [that interaction,] and I don’t think anybody really is because it’s not a big deal.”