Getty Eagles star A.J. Brown had 8 catches for 119 yards and 2 TDs in a revenge game against Tennessee.
Philadelphia Eagles star A.J. Brown had a wry smile on his face when talking about his first touchdown celebration. He was trying to send a deliberate message to Tennessee, the team that drafted him then traded him after failing to meet his asking price. Brown still loves his friends over there, but sometimes friends need an old-fashioned whupping.
Brown was sensational in a 35-10 win over the Titans, a game he finally admitted (after a week full of denials) that he had circled on his calendar for a long time. Brown broke free for a 41-yard touchdown to start the second quarter, then ripped his towel off and started whipping the goal post before hugging it. What did the celebration mean?
“Today, you know, I’m going to have to give you this whupping but I still love you, though,” Brown said. “That’s why the hug came in at the end.”
We saw Treylon Burks score earlier, now the player he replaced on the #Titans, A.J. Brown, scored on his former team.
If it stands.
That touchdown was negated and ruled an incompletion after replay showed his toe came down out of bounds. OK, no problem. Next play, Jalen Hurts looked his way again and found him on a 40-yard scoring strike. He was wide open after Titans cornerback Kristian Fulton bit on Brown’s double move and fell down. That one counted. And Brown felt vindicated.
“This one meant a lot to me,” Brown said. “You know, early on I had mixed emotions about the trade and everything, and I’d be lying if I told you that I didn’t circle this game.”
A.J. Brown on what it meant to beat his former team today: “It’s a business at the end of the day and you gotta do what’s best for your family.” #Eagles #FlyEaglesFly #Titans
Brown finished with 8 catches for 119 yards and 2 touchdowns on the day. Vengeance belonged to Brown, just the way the one-time Pro Bowler drew it up. Except it wasn’t. Brown had expected a better performance out of himself. He actually walked off the field a little disappointed.
“Nah, it’s not the game I envisioned,” Brown said, then smiled and added: “An even bigger day.”
A.J. BROWN IS HAVING A DAY. @1kalwaysopen_
📺: #TENvsPHI on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ t.co/3GGO7Ve30A
Brown Shows Respect to Mike Vrabel, Tennessee Titans
Brown was seen hugging several of his former Titans teammates before Sunday’s game. He went over and chatted with head coach Mike Vrabel, too. Brown carried no ill will toward them despite the way things ended. That was a business decision, one made by the front office. He expected to retire in Tennessee.
“I tried to do everything in my power to remain a Titan,” Brown said. “It’s a business, once again, and in the situation I had to grow up. First off, I need to stop saying that, it’s a business. But, of course, I told everyone I wanted to retire there and then I get traded. It’s like, I just have to learn, it’s a business. Of course I wanted to make them regret their decision.”
Eagles WR A.J. Brown meets with Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel. Brown is playing against his former team for the first time since the draft night trade
Brown was clearly fired up for this one. He was extra animated every time he made a contested catch or broke a tackle. Brown was particularly upset when Titans safety Andrew Adams grabbed at his ankle and held on a tad longer than he needed to. The play was over. Adams could have injured Brown’s leg. Outside of that, it was all love.
“I mean, I have a relationship with the guys still there, lotta guys to be honest,” Brown said. “It’s always been love. They all know it’s a business at the end of the day and you gotta do what’s best for your family. And they gotta do what’s best for the team. Just the same old, same old. I’m just grateful to the team for building those relationships that I encountered over there. Lasting relationships, you know, I got great friends over there. So, it was a mutual thing but we still gotta compete at the end of the day.”
Andrew Adams clearly trying to injure A.J. Brown here
Nick Sirianni Quiets Jalen Hurts’ MVP Chatter
Jalen Hurts keeps stating his case for NFL MVP honors. The Eagles quarterback went 29-of-39 for 380 passing yards and 3 touchdowns versus Tennessee. He chucked two scores to Brown – on a 40-yarder and a 29-yarder – and hit DeVonta Smith on a 34-yarder for the game’s first touchdown.
Hurts also ran 5 times for 12 yards, including a beautiful 2-yard scamper where he broke contain and zig-zagged out to the corner and won a footrace to the end zone. Three passing touchdowns, plus one rushing score. MVP type stuff.
In back-to-back games.
Jalen Hurts vs. GB:
150+ rushing yards, 2 TDs
Jalen Hurts vs. TEN:
300+ passing yards, 4 total TDs
Hurts was brilliant – 130.3 QB rating, 74.7 QBR – and it’s getting harder and harder to ignore him as a legit MVP contender. Head coach Nick Sirianni is loving what he’s seeing out of Hurts, but he’ll let the media debate the NFL’s top award. He and Hurts aren’t interested in talking about it.
“That’s something we have no control over. Shoot, everybody – you want your players to be acknowledged for the success that they’re having,” Sirianni said. “We want that for guys, but all we can control is how we go out and perform this next game. And the next game after that. So, we’ll enjoy this one, but all our focus will then shift to the Giants, and he’ll go and prepare like he did this week to get ready to play a really good team in the Giants.”
“And I love where he is but the MVP stuff is for your guys to decide, right? He’s just gotta do what’s gotta do to play good to give us a chance to win each week and all that matters is next week.”
The sky’s the limit for these Birds. #FlyEaglesFly