A.J. Brown’s comments after the Philadelphia Eagles’ victory last Sunday hung over the team all week, and Sunday NFL Countdown analyst Alex Smith shared what might be an uncomfortable truth Sunday.
Smith thinks Brown was right and that he’s been unfairly criticized this week for publicly airing the team’s issues. Many fans, analysts and even Eagles defensive lineman Brandon Graham called out Brown for appearing to criticize quarterback Jalen Hurts after the team’s win over the Carolina Panthers.
Smith said that Hurts is part of the problem, and the former NFL quarterback shared some plays on the Countdown screen to illustrate Hurts’ “inexcusable” issues during the game.
“[Brown] got asked a question on what they needed to work on postgame, and he answered it honestly and he answered it correctly — passing game,” Smith said. “The passing game was abysmal, and I don’t think this is about a prima donna receiver that’s upset about not getting the football.
“He understands; listen, if they get into the postseason and throw the football like they did in this game, they’re not going to win. Jalen Hurts missed so many opportunities. Time and time again, AJ Brown was open in this game, he is the primary receiver in this offense, he had a one-on-one and they didn’t get the ball to him.”
Smith pointed out the second play in the game against the Panthers, calling it up on the monitor. Brown ran a deep route and appeared to be wide open. Hurts opted to go with a short check-down pass.
“Look how open A.J. Brown is,” Smith said. “You have to put this ball up. This is inexcusable. … Again, Jalen Hurts is so methodical and risk-averse… he’s way too cautious in this game.”
The Eagles are riding a nine-game winning streak heading into Sunday, but Brown’s comments suggest things aren’t looking good in Philly. Smith thinks Hurts needs to be more aggressive.
“It’s not complicated. Jalen Hurts struggled in this game,” Smith said. “I don’t know why he was double-clutching these balls. Turn it loose. It’s not that hard.”
[ESPN]