Eagles' A.J. Brown outperforms entire Titans receiving corp in 2-TD revenge win vs. former team
This is how to show your ex what they've been missing.
A.J. Brown's Philadelphia Eagles faced off against his former Titans on Sunday for the first time since Tennessee traded him on draft day. He came to play. Brown outperformed the entire Titans receiving corps and scored a pair sensational touchdowns in a 35-10 Philadelphia win.
Brown finished the day with eight catches for 119 yards and two scores. Titans wide receivers finished with a combined four catches for 41 yards with a touchdown.
Brown got going early in the second quarter. He thought he had a 41-yard touchdown catch from Jalen Hurts to give the Eagles a 14-7 lead early. But officials overturned the catch as incomplete on replay review. No matter.
On the next play, Hurts looked again to Brown. This time, there was no doubt. Hurts found Brown wide open streaking down the left sideline on a deep pass to the 10-yard line. Brown hauled it in and ran untouched to the end zone.
1st one incomplete...No problem. #ProBowlVote @1kalwaysopen_ #TENvsPHI | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/3xk1oK8JXF
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) December 4, 2022
How did he get so open? Here's a closer look.
Cornerback Kristian Fulton initially had coverage on the play. Brown ran a double move off the line of scrimmage, then plowed through Fulton on his way to the end zone, leaving Fulton reeling on the ground in pain.
STOP OH MY GOD AJ BROWNpic.twitter.com/ge9pGBYJ24
— Austin Gayle (@austingayle_) December 4, 2022
The contact drew a flag — on Fulton, for illegal contact. To make matters worse for the Titans cornerback, he left the game with a groin injury. The Titans, meanwhile, got a close-up view of their former Pro Bowl receiver having one of his best seasons for another team. And it wasn't their last.
Brown struck pay dirt again in the third quarter as the Eagles piled on to a 21-10 lead. On a second-down play from the Tennessee 29, Hurts once again looked to Brown down the left sideline. This time Brown was covered. It didn't matter. Tre Avery blanketed Brown on the right edge of the end zone, but Brown was too good while hauling in the contested catch to extend Philadelphia's lead.
A.J. BROWN IS HAVING A DAY. @1kalwaysopen_
📺: #TENvsPHI on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/3GGO7Ve30A pic.twitter.com/8aTa7WWiAc— NFL (@NFL) December 4, 2022
Tennessee traded Brown to Philadelphia on draft day for a pair of draft picks in what has turned out to be an outstanding investment for the Eagles. Brown left Sunday's game leading the Eagles with 956 yards and nine touchdowns on 61 catches through 11 games. He has done so as the lead of one of football's top receiving tandems playing opposite of second-year receiver DeVonta Smith.
Meanwhile, the Eagles started Sunday with the best record in the NFL and the inside track to the NFC's No. 1 seed. And Hurts has developed into one of the league's most dynamic quarterbacks thanks in part to his connection with Brown. He finished the day completing 29 of 39 passes for 380 yards with three touchdowns through the air. Smith caught the third touchdown on a five-catch, 102-yard day as the Eagles improved to 11-1
The Titans haven't fallen apart in Brown's absence. They remain in the playoff race despite Sunday's loss that dropped them to 7-5. But it's got to be hard for Titans fans to watch and wonder what if they'd manage to hold on to their 25-year-old playmaker on a team that struggles to move the ball through the air.