Exploring AJ Brown's Performance Issues in Philadelphia

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00:00What are you still continuing to hear around this situation?

00:04What can you gauge maybe are the issues right now for Philadelphia?

00:09All right, Kevin.

00:09So let's go back to what we talked about on Friday.

00:12You and I got into a healthy discussion about Jalen Hurts.

00:16We know that his passer rating is the best of his career,

00:18so is the completion percentage.

00:19But I told you the game tape tells you that he's really not playing that well.

00:24What it is is, and there was an athletic report today that stated that players

00:29behind the scenes have complained about Hurts' unwillingness to throw through

00:31tight windows against zone coverage.

00:34I told you Friday, Kevin, that Jalen Hurts takes the path of least resistance.

00:40He holds on to the ball.

00:42He doesn't like making those tighter throws.

00:44Though he loves making deeper throws, which is interesting.

00:47Over 20 yards, he's one of the best in the National Football League.

00:50But inside the numbers, he just doesn't like throwing it there.

00:53And that's why A.J. Brown's numbers are not only down, the crossing routes,

00:58which he was phenomenal at with the Titans, okay?

01:01They're not really running them.

01:03They're not doing them.

01:03And Hurts, when they're called, he doesn't throw it.

01:07So that's the confounding issue with this situation, where you look at his numbers

01:11in terms of completion percentage and passer rating, you go,

01:14oh, okay, that's really good.

01:15But the game tape, the all-22 tells you differently.

01:18He's really not playing that well.

01:19He's not taking the throws that are there.

01:21And he takes a check down or maybe the fourth option just to get rid of the football

01:26when he holds on to it too long.

01:28The ball shows to be out earlier.

01:29So you mentioned A.J. Brown.

01:31Part of why he could play with the Minnesota game is he got the ball too much

01:36to save one or two throws off structure when the ball is supposed to be in his hands earlier.

01:41And it frustrates him and frustrates him that he's not getting the ball.

01:44Pass target numbers are down.

01:46Average per game, lowest since his rookie season.

01:48So, Kevin, answer your question.

01:51There's a lot brewing here.

01:52Typically, we wouldn't talk about this if the Eagles were a middling team.

01:55We would concentrate on the rest of the league.

01:57But this issue with A.J. Brown and the passing game is not going away.

02:01I think, though, Cap, and maybe we'll agree to disagree on this,

02:05A.J. Brown is the biggest reason it doesn't go away.

02:08We can never focus on anything else because their star-wide receiver

02:13won't stop screaming about how awful everything is all the time.

02:18Even when things are going well, he's like, see, it could always go well

02:22if you used me more and more and more.

02:25Even if, and to me, it sounds like you feel as if if we're doing a percentage of the blame,

02:30most of it would fall at Jalen.

02:32Everything is made worse by what A.J. Brown is doing.

02:37Is that felt in Philadelphia?

02:39Well, no, here's the reality.

02:41Hurts is obviously a big part of it.

02:42He's the quarterback.

02:43The other part of it is the new offense coordinator, Kevin Petulo.

02:45When you have your star receiver, and I know Devontae Smith is having a phenomenal season.

02:50He's having a pro ball type season.

02:53But when you have A.J. Brown is making just under $30 million, $29.75 million,

02:58you have to, he has to be the focal point of your passing game.

03:01When you throw it, like we know the Eagles are a run first team.

03:04That's not going to change.

03:05It goes through Saquon Barkley because of what he did last year,

03:08plus of what he's getting paid.

03:09But when they throw the football, it's got to go through A.J. Brown.

03:13And that's where Kevin Petulo's got to do a better job of their offensive coordinator.

03:16It's not just Hurts.

03:17I'm not saying it's just Hurts.

03:18It's got to be Kevin Petulo also, the offensive coordinator.

03:22Because last week's a perfect example.

03:23He got two pass targets early, and he was not a part of the passing game really after that.

03:29And then tonight, Kevin, we'll talk more about the weather later,

03:31but it's one of many games where the win is going to probably be a factor.

03:34We'll talk more about the weather later.

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