Kenny Pickett and the Eagles receivers are feeling ‘more comfortable’ after a week of reps together

In his third season with the Eagles, A.J. Brown refers to his communication with Jalen Hurts as “on another level.” Their borderline-telepathic ability to get on the same page transcends the standard signals associated with the offense.

So when Kenny Pickett entered the game last Sunday against the Washington Commanders, the backup quarterback and his top two receivers, Brown and DeVonta Smith, spoke after every series to try to catch up on the little nuances they have developed in their two-way communication with Hurts. It was a challenge on the fly, according to Brown.

“I’m upset at myself, ‘cause [Kenny] gave me a signal, and I didn’t see it in the game,” Brown said Friday. “He gave me one and I didn’t see it. And that could’ve been a big opportunity for me. I was mad about that.”

» READ MORE: Eagles announce Jalen Hurts will miss Sunday’s game vs. Cowboys with a concussion

Now, Brown and his fellow receivers have had the luxury of a full week of practice to improve their communication with Pickett, who is the presumptive starter against the Dallas Cowboys with Hurts ruled out due to a concussion. Pickett, who is dealing with a ribs injury, was a limited participant in practice on Friday. He was a full participant on Thursday. Still, Pickett was removed from the final injury report, indicating that he’s good to go for Sunday’s game.

Brown, Smith, and Pickett aren’t total strangers. The three players have sat together in the lunch room throughout the season to talk about life and football. Brown has sat next to Pickett in the meeting room this year when reviewing game film, where the backup shares how he sees the game and what he would do in any given situation.

But this week, the receivers are trying to get even more face time with Pickett, both on and off the field.

“That’s every time I see him,” Brown said. “We’re talking about something off to the side on the practice field. Trying to rep here and there. Trying to steal a rep.”

On Thursday, Pickett noted the importance of getting his timing down with his receivers as he learns the finer details of the way they run different routes. In just two practices on Thursday and Friday, plus a walk-through on Tuesday, Smith said Pickett’s timing has “improved a lot.”

“It’s only a week,” Smith said. “You’re not going to be able to go out there and do everything the exact way that you want to, but I think we have the gist of what we want and how it’s going to be.”

Not only is Pickett trying to get a sense of how his receivers run routes, but the receivers are also learning how the backup likes to operate. Brown said that Pickett is “poised” and “demanding” in the huddle, which is what he wants to see out of his signal-caller.

But on the fly against the Commanders, it was challenging for Smith to understand the way that Pickett sees the game and communicates. Even in a week’s time, Smith said he has a “pretty good feeling” of what Pickett is thinking on certain concepts, an improvement over last Sunday’s game.

With the week of preparation nearly complete, Smith expressed an understanding of what it will take to make sure that Pickett feels comfortable as the starter against the Cowboys.

“Just go out there and make the plays,” Smith said. “I think the more that we make plays in the receiver room, the more comfortable he’s going to get.”

» READ MORE: Kenny Pickett vows to be ready for the Eagles if Jalen Hurts can’t play against the Cowboys

The Eagles receivers should have plenty of opportunities to make plays if the Cowboys take a similar approach to what the Commanders did once Pickett entered the game. The Commanders increased their usage of single-high safety looks to load up the box and take away the run, putting less of an emphasis on the threat of the passing game. Pickett had an up-and-down day, going 14-for-24 for 143 yards, one touchdown, and an interception (72.0 quarterback rating).

Brown said the key to preventing the Cowboys from loading up the box is to make plays in the passing game. With Pickett at the helm, Brown is confident in the offense’s ability to rebound from last week’s loss.

“He’s done a great job,” Brown said. “He did a great job last week. I know he had a few hiccups, but overall, he’s doing a great job. It’s not his first rodeo. We have a lot of confidence in him. I do. And I’m excited.”

The Eagles play in Week 17 against the Dallas Cowboys. Join Eagles beat reporters Olivia Reiner and EJ Smith as they dissect the hottest storylines surrounding the team on Gameday Central, live from Lincoln Financial Field.