Is this just A.J. being A.J., or does he really want out?
After catching two passes for seven yards, tied for the third-fewest yards of his seven-year career, despite being thrown to nine times, emotional Eagles star receiver A.J. Brown refused an interview request after the win. This is not unusual. He did the same thing last season.
But Brown then, about two hours after the game, posted a Bible verse — Mark 6:11 — as his latest cryptic message on Twitter:
“If you’re not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way.”
The post remained on Twitter as of late Monday morning
This, too, is not unusual. After all, his pinned tweet, posted after a Super Bowl loss in 2023, cautions against treachery: “the enemy speaks kindly & holds a knife.”
» READ MORE: Jeff McLane: What’s going on with the Eagles’ Jekyll and Hyde offense?
Jeff
But this is the first time since his arrival in 2022 that Brown has implied that he might want to “Be on his way,” as in, leave via trade. Or something.
After the game, Brown first tweeted, “I Love yall with all My heart,” with a bandaged heart emoji, implying his heart had been injured. I guess.
This was the second time this season Brown exited a game remarkably unproductive. He had one catch for 8 yards on one target in the opener against the Cowboys, which tied for the fewest targets, tied for the second-fewest catches, and was the third-fewest yards of his career.
Last week, after a six-catch, 109-yard win over the Rams, Brown said the Eagles offense under new coordinator Kevin Patullo had been “too conservative” until the second half of that game.
Last season, after slamming his helmet on the ground during a four-catch win over the Panthers, Brown said the problem with the Eagles offense was “Passing.”
At the end of the Eagles’ Super Bowl parade in February, Brown used his time at the mic to refute the perception that he’s more concerned about numbers than wins:
“They said I was a diva. They said all I cared about was stats.”
Guess what? “They” are going to start saying that again if he keeps implying that he’s unhappy despite all this winning.
Sirianni’s at it again
When a team’s offense ranks second-worst in the league and when the top-ranked defense that won it a Super Bowl last season now ranks 21st, there’s not a lot of compelling narrative when that team is still unbeaten. That’s probably why, instead of focusing on another ugly win, lots of folks are talking about Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni trash-talking Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield in the third quarter of Sunday’s win in Tampa.
» READ MORE: What happened to the Eagles running game? Saquon Barkley and his teammates are looking for answers.
Mayfield appeared to be minding his business as he walked past Sirianni, who just lit into Mayfield. Cameras caught the one-sided exchange, which included a not-so-subtle shoulder-to-shoulder bump from Eagles safety Drew Mukuba. Sideline reporter Tom Rinaldi said Sirianni had been yapping at Mayfield the entire game.
Who knows? Maybe Mayfield had it coming. He’s got the NFL’s biggest mouth since Steve Smith retired.
That’s really not the point.
The point is, Sirianni again acted unprofessionally on the sideline. The point is, the Eagles seem to be following his lead, and getting penalized for it.
But what if the larger point is this: The Eagles seem to play best when they’re undisciplined and unprofessional. Sound crazy? Think about it.
Sirianni taunted Colts fans in 2022, taunted Chiefs fans in 2023, taunted his own Eagles fans in 2024, and, later that season, after a game at Washington, he mocked a former player, Zach Ertz. All three, wins.
» READ MORE: Mike Sielski: Yes, the Eagles are 4-0 after beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Don’t get too excited, though.
Despite Sirianni’s continual antics, the Birds are 4-0 for the third time in Sirianni’s five seasons. At times during those five seasons they have been a locker room dissatisfied, fractured, and fractious, but they’ve gone to two Super Bowls in three years and they’ve won one. Since 2022 they have 43 wins, the most in the league.
Sirianni was unapologetic afterward: “Just talking a little bit back and forth right there.” OK.
Maybe “Crazy Nick” is the best Nick for this team.
They certainly seem to thrive in the absence of control.
Consider Sunday.
After making a trademark, open-field tackle on Rachaad White late in the first quarter, Cooper DeJean popped up and, instead of just walking away, he walked down White’s body, his crotch passing over White’s face. He immediately was flagged for taunting. That penalty turned third-and-7 at the Buccaneers’ 41 into first-and-10 at the Eagles’ 44.
After the very next play — an incomplete pass initially ruled an interception by DeJean — Quinyon Mitchell, who’d been part of DeJean’s escort of blockers, ran over to Baker Mayfield and begna taunting him. There was an extended back-and-forth with Mayfield and offensive lineman Tristan Wirfs, during which Mitchell grabbed Wirfs’ facemask. He wound up ripping the helmet off Wirfs. While a penalty was called on the Eagles during the runback, a penalty also should have been called on Mitchell for unsportsmanlike conduct. He likely will face a fine for the incident.
For better or worse, this is their DNA.
Before the first snap of the season, Jalen Carter spat on Dak Prescott. That unsportsmanlike conduct penalty turned first-and-10 at the Dallas 32-yard line into first-and-10 at the Dallas 47.
Later in that game, in the second quarter, Nolan Smith committed a taunting penalty that made second-and-10 at the 50 first-and-10 at the Eagles’ 35, which gifted the Cowboys a field goal.
It is a theme.
After executing a scrappy block late in the second quarter of Game 3 against the Rams, A.J. Brown smacked Emmanuel Forbes on the head late. That unnecessary roughness penalty turned second-and-11 at the Eagles’ 13 into second-and-17 at the 7. They punted.
» READ MORE: Jeff McLane’s Eagles grades
Late in that game, after blocking a field goal in the middle of the fourth quarter, Carter stayed on the field and hollered and gestured at the Rams’ bench. That taunting penalty turned first-and-10 at the Eagles’ 18 into first-and-10 at the 9.
None of these incidents have cost the Eagles a win. Not yet.
To the contrary: This sort of behavior seems to bring out the best in them.
Micah Parsons’ irrelevant return
Just before the season began, Dallas owner Jerry Jones traded his best player, edge rusher Micah Parsons, to the Packers. Last week, the Cowboys lost their best remaining player, receiver CeeDee Lamb, to an ankle injury.
Still, the Cowboys scored 40 points on Sunday Night Football against Parsons and the Packers, who entered with the No. 2 defense in the league. Parsons was invisible for 60 minutes of regulation, but in overtime he was credited with a sack (for no loss) when Dak Prescott scrambled near the Packers’ end zone. It might have saved a touchdown, but maybe not.
Afterward, Jones cast the decision to trade Parsons as an either-or proposition he’d made a year before, when he signed quarterback Dak Prescott to a big extension: “Dak was indispensable, in my mind. Micah wasn’t.”
This, of course, is balderdash. Jones last year botched offseason negotiations with both Prescott and Lamb, delaying both and costing himself millions. He did the same this year with Parsons, who refused to participate in training camp as the sides negotiated, then signed a lucrative extension with the Packers after the trade. If the die was cast a year ago then Jones would not have been negotiating with the Pack; he would have traded Parsons earlier, likely before the NFL draft in April.
The game actually turned in the second quarter when, trailing 13-0, the Cowboys blocked an extra point and returned it for a defensive two-point conversion, a three-point swing that helped regulation end at 37-37 and overtime at scorigami (first such final score) 40-40.
Two takeaways:
Chiefs surge, Ravens crash
Lamar Jackson left the game in the third quarter with a hamstring injury and watched his Ravens fall to 1-3. Since 1990, only 35 teams that started 1-3 have reached the playoffs. The Ravens have made the playoffs six of the last seven seasons, largely due to Jackson’s MVP-caliber play and solid defenses. They might have the worst defense in the NFL this season. Head coach John Harbaugh, 3-6 in the playoffs since 2018, is on the hot seat.
Meanwhile, Patrick Mahomes threw four touchdown passes, and the Chiefs, 0-2 after losing in Game 2 to the Eagles, are 2-2.
49ers whine after loss to Jaguars
Jaguars coach Liam Coen got the job Doug Pederson lost last season, and he got it over disastrous former Jets coach Robert Saleh, who now is the 49ers’ defensive coordinator. Saleh this week accused Coen of stealing signs. After the Jags won at unbeaten San Francisco, Saleh confronted Coen on the field, who reportedly responded with, “Keep my name out of your (bleeping) mouth,” to which Saleh responded, threateningly, “I will (bleep) your world up!”
The Jags, now 3-1, host the Chiefs next Monday.
Extra Points
Rookie QB Jaxson Dart’s debut saved Giants coach Brian Daboll for a few weeks. Dart replaced faded star Russell Wilson, converted a few broken plays, and led his winless team past the unbeaten Chargers. … Former Eagles OC Kellen Moore remains winless in New Orleans after a visit to Josh Allen and the Bills. … Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers are 3-1 after beating Carson Wentz and the Vikings in Ireland. … Without QB Jayden Daniels and top WR Terry McLaurin, the Commanders fell to 2-2 in Atlanta … After showboating receiver Adonai Mitchell fumbled a TD out of the end zone, erasing a touchdown, he then committed a lazy holding penalty on a long touchdown run, which erased that play, too. That’s how the Colts, who were enjoying a 3-0 start under former Eagles OC Shane Steichen with former Giants QB Daniel Jones, lost to the Rams by a touchdown.