A.J. Brown's frustration result of bigger problem with Eagles as season teeters on brink of extinction

Brown has not spoken to media since Dec. 22

PHILADELPHIA -- A.J. Brown stood at his locker with cameras ready to record his every word. But just like the past 10 days, Brown didn't have much to say of anything. 

Brown is clearly frustrated with what's going on in the Philadelphia Eagles locker room, politely declining to speak to the media and venting his frustrations with the organization. The media already knew, but Brown wanted to make sure he let them know his issue wasn't with them. 

"I'm not about to talk," Brown said with a smile on his face. When a reporter asked Brown why, the Eagles receiver politely responded "that would be talking." Brown was also asked if he would talk this week and just shrugged his shoulders before responding "it's nothing towards y'all." 

So what's the problem? It's easy to connect the dots and find out the issue partly lies with the offense, a unit that doesn't have a cure for what's ailing this football team. Brown finished with four catches for 53 yards in Sunday's loss to the Arizona Cardinals, yet had one target in the second half. Brown hasn't had a 100-yard game in four contests and has been held out of the end zone for the past five matchups. 

The Eagles haven't been targeting Brown deep, either. Brown has just one reception of 25-plus air yards since Week 7, and that was his 32-yard catch on third-and-20 last week. He only has eight of those catches on the season, and seven of those came from Weeks 4-7. For context, Brown had 12 of those catches last year. 

Brown has just 11 catches of 10-plus air yards in the last eight games, after having 26 in the first eight. He only has two catches of 20-plus air yards over the last eight games after having eight in the first eight.

 Jalen Hurts is just 5 of 21 for 161 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions on throws of 25-plus air yards over the last eight games (51.2 rating). He's 38 of 78 (48.7%) for 711 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions on passes of 10-plus air yards during the same stretch (84.9 rating).

The deep ball has eluded the Eagles, and Brown hasn't gotten the opportunity to get the ball deep. He has just eight targets of 25-plus air yards over the last eight games as Brown and Hurts have just connected once. The Eagles aren't going deep to DeVonta Smith, either, as he has just eight targets of 25-plus yards over that same stretch. 

The final offensive series was the biggest misuse of Brown's talent. With the Eagles and Cardinals tied at 28-28 and exactly five minutes to go, Hurts connected with Brown on an 18-yard pass for a first down to put the Eagles at the Cardinals' 20-yard line. A D'Andre Swift run was negated by a holding penalty on the next play, setting up first-and-20 from the Cardinals' 30.  

The next three plays would have any star wide receiver frustrated. First down, quarterback draw. Second down, run-pass option in which the quarterback kept. Third down, bubble screen to Kenneth Gainwell. 

Brown was noticeably absent. Again, he had just one target in the second half.

A player who was on pace for 2,000 receiving yards after the first eight games has just 508 in the last eight -- not exactly the record-setting pace he was on at one point in the season. The Eagles just aren't targeting Brown as frequently, but they aren't targeting him deep at all. This is the same player that led the NFL in yards per catch (16.5) from 2019 to 2022 (minimum 200 receptions). 

The Eagles offense is frustrated. Brown is at the center of that frustration, from his play to how the offense is functioning as a whole. 

"I think we have a lot of pride," Jordan Mailata said. "Again, we said it was playoff mode -- and when we come out here and play like that -- it looks like we don't have any pride. But we do. It's tough." 

There's no answer, from the players to the coaching staff. The problem that lies within is demonstrated by how -- or lack thereof -- Brown is utilized in the offense.