Eye on the Opponent: Eagles Receiver A.J. Brown on the Cusp of Franchise History
The Philadelphia Eagles are heading into their regular-season finale, with the New York Giants pondering the idea of resting their key starters for the postseason journey ahead. If there is one player in that group who might sway that decision, it is wide receiver A.J. Brown and his quest for franchise immortality.
Since coming to the City of Brotherly Love two years ago via trade, Brown has fit perfectly into the Philadelphia system and supercharged the offense to one of the most volatile huddles in the NFL. A two-time 1,000-yard receiver in Tennessee, the fifth-year star has already repeated that feat with two more campaigns that include 193 catches and 18 touchdowns combined.
Brown has undoubtedly been one of his era's most successful pass catchers after being selected as a fifth-round pick out of Ole Miss in 2019. The 26-year-old has amassed 76 games of experience with 378 catches for 5,938 yards, 42 touchdowns, and an average catch of 15.7 yards to show for it, adding to a list of NFL greats who shared the same accomplishment.
However, if Brown plays on Sunday at MetLife Stadium, there is a different piece of history he could attain to put himself amongst the beloved players in Philadelphia lore. He sits just 53 yards shy of crossing the 1,500-yard receiving mark and becoming the first Eagles receiver to record that amount in a single season.
Brown has been chasing this statistic since he joined the Eagles but is nearing it quickly this fall. He has played in all of the Eagles' 16 games and caught 105 passes for a single-season high marker. His average grab has gone down from the year before, but he holds seven 100+ yard outings to help boost his numbers, including six straight games from Weeks 3 to 9.
In the first meeting with the Giants on Christmas Day, Brown finished with six receptions for 80 yards and an average catch of 13.3 yards in light of a bigger performance from fellow receiver DeVonta Smith. If the Eagles can get him going again in round two, he has a great chance to surpass the number on enemy soil and push his third-ranked performance even higher on the NFL's leaderboard.
Brown has been the perimeter receiver with third-level routes and deep-field vertical responsibilities for most of his career. In his 598 total snaps this year, he is netting a 12.3-yard average distance of target, the third largest of his tenure and one of the biggest faced by the Giants this season.
Unlike other No. 1 receivers with height to their advantage, Brown checks in at 6'1" but dominates right from the line of scrimmage with his 226-pound frame and physicality. Per PFF, he wards off defenders for an average of 4.6 yards after contact and even wins contested catch battles at a 45.2% rate, one of the highest in the league.
Brown is typically the receiver quarterback Jalen Hurts relies on to make a timely catch in the face of pressure. He is a player who rarely drops the football when it comes his way, and he has the football intelligence and vision to come back to the throw, get himself to the sticks for the first down, and sometimes make a man miss to produce an even larger play that can go for six points.
On Sunday, Brown could benefit from a youthful Giants secondary starting to feel the effects of an 18-week season on their ranks. New York had to play without their stalwart in Deonte Banks last week against the Rams, a rookie who has done a good job at slowing down No. 1 receivers this season.
With him missing his first game of the year, the veteran Adoree Jackson replaced him, but it didn't stop Puka Nucua from reaching 118 yards in five catches to lead Los Angeles' aerial production. If Banks cannot go again for the last contest, it could mean a productive afternoon for Brown against a corner whose future with the Giants is in doubt and coverage has become extremely vulnerable.
Add in the extra element of the other receivers on their depth chart, like DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert, who can be impact players from the attention Brown receives, and there is more than one way he can burn the opposing defense. That said, the Eagles should be looking to get him the football in bunches to help him set a franchise marker and, more importantly, clinch their newest NFC East title.
It'll be a game based upon pride versus setting history if Brown and his fellow starters give it a go for the dress rehearsal of their postseason dreams. What better way for the Giants to spite their visiting rivals than to keep Brown away from the record books and earn an end-of-season victory?
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