The Philadelphia Eagles faced one of the toughest losses against the Arizona Cardinals, dashing their hopes of clinching the top NFC seed. This loss has now been dubbed one of the worst in recent times, as the Iggles were leading by 15 points in the first half before getting absolutely obliterated by their opponents. Fans were furious, and they didn’t spare anyone, whether it was Jalen Hurts or AJ Brown.
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The Philly team was agitated as well, as several clips of their post-game interactions started surfacing online. Star center Jason Kelce could barely speak or breathe at the presser, which is completely unlike his usual self. Then there is AJ Brown, who also found himself at a loss for words after recently getting called out for his leadership abilities.
When reporters approached Brown and asked if he had anything to comment about the team’s struggle this week, he replied, “There’s nothing to say.” He tried to walk away from the interview for the entire time and finally expressed that he has no issues with the reporters, which has since sparked speculation about the star WR being dissatisfied with HC Nick Sirianni.
Wow: AJ Brown declined to speak with the media after their loss to the #Cardinals.
“There is nothing to say.”pic.twitter.com/5DUUSQsmTt
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) December 31, 2023
Amidst mounting speculations around Brown, his teammate Jordan Mailata has come out with quite the story about AJ’s efforts to lighten the tension and build chemistry among teammates. According to Mailata, Brown apparently organized an outing for his teammates to an Escape Room to build ‘camaraderie’. Most of his teammates actually showed up, and Mailata added that he has been nothing but phenomenal behind the scenes, as per audacy.com.
“A.J. has been great, he’s been phenomenal. A couple days before the game…we had a whole team, escape room thing going on where most of the guys showed just to build camaraderie,” Mailata said.
There is much speculation about his frustration, as week after week, Brown has been avoiding the media. An environment of ponderance is building amongst the Eagles, who are down to 11-5 from 10-1 after a series of hurdles. Mailata further added,
“He’s been great behind the scenes. That was A.J. The team helped facilitate the bookings. All this talk about A.J. not being a leader…you guys don’t know him like we do. He’s a great leader, man.”
The former Ole Miss star later clarified that he wasn’t mad at his coach or the playcalling. He was actually frustrated that DeVonta Smith got hurt, while the team was in desperate need of a win.
“I didn’t want to be negative. I just have to go back to work. I’m not trying to make it worse”
-AJ Brown says he was upset about DeVonta Smith getting hurt on the 3rd and 20 not the playcall
“Everybody in the lockeroom is frustrated. I want to win.“ pic.twitter.com/WZ2KPaR9uQ
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) January 3, 2024
AJ Brown took over the leadership role back in August and he has become the backbone of the Eagles. His numbers this season place him in a coveted position boasting 1447 yards, the 3rd in the league after Tyreek Hill and CeeDee Lamb. However, the last five games have been particularly dry for him with no touchdowns in his name. The drought that not only surrounds AJ but also the Eagles at a crucial point in the season has forged a blurry path ahead.
What do the Philadelphia Eagles Need from here?
The slip to an 11-5 record after a 10-1 entry in December has presented a roadblock for the Philadelphia Eagles’ quest for the NFC’s top seed. A surprising loss to the struggling Arizona Cardinals added more limelight to their defensive failures.
Their biggest divisional opponents, the Dallas Cowboys, have an identical record of 11-5; therefore, the Eagles will not only have to win their Week 18 bout but also hope for America’s Team to lose in order to clinch the division title. Otherwise, the reigning NFC champs will have to take their postseason journey on the road against the NFC South winners, which could either be the Buccaneers or the Saints.
The Cowboys will face the Giants next week, a team they defeated just two weeks ago in a 33-25 final score. However, it’s worth noting that in the same matchup, the Giants were trailing behind by 17 points in the first half but managed to tally 22 more in the second. This only brings up the possibility that the Eagles could repeat last week’s blunder and lose the chance of winning the division.
Whether it’s their final regular season game or the upcoming playoffs, the Eagles have a significant issue — their defense. Over the past month, they have given up over 350 yards, which contributed to their downfall so late in the season. They once again need to dominate the third downs, which last season almost won them the Super Bowl.
