A.J. Brown’s ‘we improvised’ revelation unearths bigger questions about the state of the Eagles

A.J. Brown started doing his job again Wednesday. In doing so, he brought into question the jobs of Nick Sirianni and Brian Johnson. Who’s calling the plays, anyway?

In defending his head coach and offensive coordinator and his relationship with them, Brown said Wednesday that the pass play that was intercepted and ended the Eagles’ chances in Seattle on Dec. 18 was an impromptu decision between himself and Jalen Hurts.

» READ MORE: A.J. Brown apologizes to Eagles teammates and addresses his recent silence: ‘We’re all frustrated’

Sirianni later tried to explain the poor play call by saying he hoped Brown would at least draw a penalty. Thanks, Coach, but no thanks, Brown said.

“We improvised,” Brown said Wednesday. “We went on our own. Nick came out [afterward] and said, ‘I wanted to try to get a flag.’ He made himself look like a fool for us.”

If true, this assertion unearths a whole other, much bigger issue than Brown’s on-field antics, his disappointment with the team’s scheme, and his resultant media silence:

Did Hurts and Brown really go off-script on one of the biggest plays of the season? If so, do they improvise often, then, if it fails, do they let Sirianni and Johnson take the bullets?

The state of affairs at One NovaCare Way becomes more intriguing every day, and Brown is often in the middle of it.

Brown refused to speak after the Eagles’ last two games, as well as in the week between. NFL players are required by the league to talk after each game and at least once each week between games. They can be fined if they don’t.

Brown’s silence was amplified because Brown had been conspicuously and loquaciously available for two seasons before his recent media boycott. But as the team played ever more poorly and as Brown’s on-field reactions displayed his obvious frustrations, he stopped talking. Teammates told me Brown was unhappy with the offensive scheme of Sirianni and that they were displeased with his body language, which, they said, sent a bad message to younger players.

Brown ended his silence Wednesday. Why had he refused to speak?

“I didn’t want to be negative,” Brown said. “I was raised, ‘If I have nothing nice to say, I’m not going to say nothing at all.’ ”

He then explained, ”It wasn’t about the play-calling. It was about my guy getting banged up.” He reiterated that later: “I was not mad about the call. I was upset about my partner getting rolled up. People may not believe that, but I don’t care.”

Clearly, he does care.

Clearly, he understands how utterly non-believable this is.

DeVonta Smith was injured while blocking late in the fourth quarter. If Brown had said in the locker room that he was upset because Smith got injured, that would not have been “negative.”

Further, if Brown was on board with Sirianni’s play-calling, then why would he “improvise” on one of the plays of the season? There is no greater form of dissent than ignoring an order.

Lately, his silence was interpreted as petulance by his teammates. Petulance, especially from a star, is a distraction. Muted petulance is brooding. So, for more than a week, the non-brooding Eagles were asked to explain their brooder. Wednesday, with no coercion from the team, Brown chose to step up.

“I apologized to my teammates today,” Brown said. “They shouldn’t have to answer questions on my behalf. I’m a man. I can speak for myself.”

He was given every opportunity to do so for eight days. He refused. Brown is a fifth-year veteran in the middle of a $100 million contract. He’s the best player on a good team, possibly the best receiver in franchise history. He’s a captain. He’s a leader.

He knew all along his teammates would have to speak for him, and he chose to put them in that position.

At least they aren’t in that position anymore.

As an aside:

I wrote a column after Sunday’s game after interviewing several Eagles about both Brown’s media boycott and that of Haason Reddick, which ended after Sunday’s game. As mentioned above, some Eagles said they were disappointed with Brown’s body language on the field, and one agreed to be quoted anonymously. Brown indicated Sunday that he would continue his silence indefinitely, and when he announced his availability, I was unable to rearrange my schedule to attend. Brown was disappointed by my absence:

“I was going to ask him, ‘Who was the veteran?’ "

Brown says he majored in journalism at Ole Miss. He must have missed class the day they explained protecting sources. Further, the Eagles have all my contact information. Brown had three days to ask his ridiculous question; because, as he should know, I will never betray my sources.

Aside over.

» READ MORE: A.J. Brown and Eagles coaches are embroiled in a feud as the team loses its fourth of five games

Brown on Wednesday painted himself as a victim: “Why are you singling me out?” Because, for the last two seasons, he has singled himself out.

Brown was upset on the sideline during a playoff game against the Giants last January. He beefed with Hurts on the sideline this season during a Week 2 win over Minnesota. At Kansas City in November, after Hurts threw an interception, Brown flailed his arms in the air on the field, then confronted Hurts on the sideline.

These were all wins.

Sunday was the Eagles’ fourth loss in five games.

After ignoring a question Monday that inquired if he’d spoken with Brown, Sirianni said Tuesday that he’d spoken with Brown within the past 48 hours. Johnson made sure Tuesday to promise to include Brown more: “A.J. is a great player and we’ve got to force him the ball sometimes and make sure we get him going.”

Brown’s overall message Wednesday seemed to be that he was more upset with his teammates’ imprecise play than with the coaches’ predictable play-calling that too often ignores the talents of the team’s most talented player. He implied that his expressiveness on the field is directed not at the sideline but at the huddle.

“Maybe I’m holding my teammates accountable,” Brown said.

Brown gave examples. He said that a missed block on one of the controversially conservative plays before the Eagles kicked a late fourth-quarter field goal ruined a possible 30-yard gain by Hurts: “If one man goes the wrong way, the play is over. That’s what happened the last drive.”

Perhaps the most compelling ingredient in Wednesday’s 13-minute word salad was when Brown said he and Hurts went rogue in Seattle, calling their own number on a fourth-quarter play that ended in an interception and sealed the loss. Sirianni has said that the ball was supposed to go to Brown, and that, worst-case, Brown would draw a pass interference penalty.

Sirianni is scheduled to speak again Friday. One guess as to what the first question will be.