Tim McManusESPN Staff Writer2 Minute Reading
PHILADELPHIA — A heated conversation between Eagles receiver AJ Brown and quarterback Jalen Hurts on the sideline during Thursday’s win over the Minnesota Vikings was about Brown wanting to be more involved in the offense, teammates say. team.
“That’s part of being a competitor, man. You always want to feel like you’re a part of the team, helping the team and things like that,” said receiver DeVonta Smith, who led the way with four catches. catches for 131 yards and a touchdown in a 34-28 win. “Whenever something like that happens, it’s not a bad thing. He’s not bashing anybody. He just wants to feel part of the team, wants to help us.”
Brown, who finished with four catches for 29 yards on six targets, left Lincoln Financial Field without speaking to reporters.
Television cameras showed an animated exchange between Brown and Hurts at the start of the fourth quarter. Coach Nick Sirianni stepped in and spoke to Brown as Hurts walked away.
Hurts went on to target Brown three times on the next series, including a 25-yard touchdown pass that was nullified by a penalty.
“I think everybody wants to make plays and everybody wants to contribute,” Hurts said. “I have no worries about him. He’s a great player, a great teammate, a great friend, and we’ll do anything and everything to win.”
Sirianni initially said he didn’t know what happened. When told the cameras were showing his involvement, he replied: “The conversations we have on the field will be private. And the conversations we have in our locker room will be private. It goes on there.”
The Eagles’ passing has struggled in the first two weeks. Hurts threw for 193 yards with a touchdown and an interception against Minnesota after managing 170 yards with a TD in the opening win against the New England Patriots. Center Jason Kelce said the Eagles’ offense has seen some “crazy things” from opposing coordinators in the first two weeks in an attempt to create confusion and slow down the passing attack. He said he believed it would stay that way, predicting “chaos” for the rest of the season.
Even with new wrinkles from the defensive coaches, the Eagles fought their way to a 2-0 record. They leaned on the ground game on Thursday and racked up 259 yards rushing.
“You want guys to talk,” Kelce said of the Brown-Hurts interaction. “I think it’s actually worse if the guys aren’t talking. The fact that they’re having an exchange is a positive.
“We all have very high expectations. We know we’re very good and we know we have to play better than we did, so those discussions happen and frustration happens.”