Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown signaled his frustration with the state of the team's aerial attack after Sunday's 22-16 win over the Carolina Panthers.
Asked about what the offense needs to improve upon, Brown offered a one word response: "Passing."
The Eagles came out on the winning end against Carolina despite quarterback Jalen Hurts throwing for just 108 yards on 21 attempts. Brown had four catches for 43 yards.
The 2024 Eagles appear determined to set an NFL record for the most angst to surround a team that's 11-2 and leading its division.
Just peruse the reaction on social media toward head coach Nick Sirianni every Sunday amid a winning streak that was extended to nine games Sunday.
Brown's concerns about the passing game might be well-founded, though. The Eagles are averaging the second-fewest yards through the air (180.6) and have the fewest attempts (328).
Hurts has been an efficient thrower. His 68.3 percent completion rate and 102.4 QB rating are on pace to be personal bests, and he ranks ninth in QBR (65.2) after finishing 12th (60.9) in 2023, per ESPN.com.
However, his 200.2 yards per game are his lowest since becoming the full-time starter in 2021. He has failed to hit 200 passing yards for three games in a row now.
Part of that is down to how Sirianni and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore are leaning on what's working. Running back Saquon Barkley, who went for 124 yards on the ground against Carolina, has been playing at an MVP-type level.
Still, it's not hard to envision a scenario in the playoffs where Barkley is being held in check and Hurts has to shoulder a heavier burden.
Right now, you wouldn't have full faith he'd get the job done.
Read 333 Comments
Download the app for comments Get the B/R app to join the conversation