The Philadelphia Eagles almost died of their own poison on Sunday, as they were on the brink of giving away their early 18-point lead against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A likely frustrated A.J Brown made headlines once more with his social media post after the game, creating a frenzy among fans, coaches, and even NFL legends.
Brown finished the game with two receptions for seven yards on nine targets, a clear reflection of his performance this season. His numbers through four games have been underwhelming, notching 14 receptions for 151 yards and one touchdown.
Brown didn’t grant any availability to reporters after the game; instead he posted a cryptic message on social media that has caused more stir than any postgame interview he has done lately. A verse from the Bible, Mark 11:6, "If you're not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don't make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way" was posted for the world to see.
No special interpreter is needed to understand that this was an indirect explanation of how he feels about his role in the team. Particularly, it came a week after he had made critical comments on the offensive team’s conservative approach to games.
"We got so many good players on this team. And at times, you can feel like we're being conservative," Brown said. "And I don't think it should be like that. It should be, let your killers do their thing. Play fast and play aggressive."
"I'm not saying that we haven't been (aggressive)," he explained. "But me personally, that's what I would like. Obviously, we're going to run the ball ... and pass off the run. We have a lot of good players. We should just let them go. It should be like that."
In response to Brown’s social media post, Eagles legend, Seth Joyner, was asked about Brown’s situation on 94 WIP-FM, and his two-word response was perhaps the harshest A.J Brown would receive. His short response to Brown’s message was, “stop posting.”
Nick Sirianni was more diplomatic in his response, explaining the possible reasons behind his captain’s post.
"Obviously, A.J. is very important to this football team," Sirianni said Monday, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia's Dave Zangaro.
"I know he wants to contribute and do the things that he's capable of doing. He wants to contribute to these wins. And he's had a couple games where he hasn't been able to for different reasons of why we haven't in these games. I question nothing about his desire to play great football, his desire to be a good teammate, his desire to be here."
A group of hungry players is what Sirianni has. And hungry players don’t just want a win, they want a good win. As they host Denver Broncos on Sunday, A.J Brown and the rest of the team will be hoping to grab their first good win of the season.
