Analyzing Eagles’ Passing Game Concerns: A.J. Brown’s Critique
The Philadelphia Eagles won the game on Sunday, but it seems not everyone was happy.
Wide receiver A.J. Brown was frustrated after the win and was blunt when asked what the issue was with the team's offense, which posted just 22 points in the game.
"Passing," the star wideout stated firmly.
Brown stated it was "incredibly tough" to get into a rhythm with the lack of pass attempts in the offense. The team has attempted the least amount of passes in the NFL but has two of the most talented wide receivers in the game with Brown and his teammate DeVonta Smith.
Brown was asked what kind of conversations he has with quarterback Jalen Hurts during the game when the passing game is struggling. " Not too much conversation," Brown said.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni acknowledged the passing game wasn't up to the team's standard, but didn't seem concerned about Brown's reaction.
"What I do know – I love that guys care," Sirianni offered. They care about how they perform, they care about us meeting our standard, and that just leads to getting better."
Hurts was just 14-of-21 for 108 yards, adding two touchdowns in the win over Carolina.
So what is going on with the Eagles passing game?
The team averages just 180.6 yards passing per game, second worst in the NFL, and one has to wonder if this is a sustainable way to accomplish the team's ultimate goal of a Super Bowl in February.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts seemed to hold the ball, searching for the perfect play. Hurts holds the ball longer than any NFL quarterback, except for one, Lamar Jackson. However, Jackson is sacked far less than Hurts, which means Jackson holding the ball is leading to more big plays.
There are plays to be made in the Eagles pass game, they have left them on the field, and the result is a 22-16 win over an inferior opponent, leading to some unhappy wide receivers.
"I think each and every week we're always having conversations throughout this whole process," Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore said on Tuesday. I don't think it's any different this week, last week, any other week. I think we all get the opportunity on Mondays to evaluate how we did, the things that we can improve on."
It seemed to be a matter of time until the lack of pass production was addressed by the players involved, but here we are.
Brandon Graham addressed the situation Monday Night on a Philadelphia radio station making this worse, he then backtracked his comments on Tuesday morning, saying he didn't know the full story.
Former Eagles center Jason Kelce gave his 2 cents on ESPN's Monday Night Countdown, former Eagles Terrell Owens wide receiver even chimed in on the topic, in response to Donovan McNabb, who also gave his thoughts on the situation. Former Eagles running back LeSean McCoy was on his FS1 Show and commented.
11-2, nine straight wins, never a dull moment.