Is Eagles' Jalen Hurts escaping blame on play A.J. Brown says made coach 'look like a fool'?
PHILADELPHIA − A.J. Brown's admission that he and quarterback Jalen Hurts "improvised" on the last play against the Seattle Seahawks on Dec. 18 is not the firestorm that it's being made out to be.
Hurts threw deep on that play to Brown when the Eagles needed about 20 yards to get into field-goal range for a potential game-tying field goal, with Kenny Gainwell open underneath. Seahawks safety Julian Love intercepted the pass and the Eagles lost 20-17.
In the days after the game, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni gave the head-scratching explanation that he was hoping to draw a pass interference penalty on the play.
But it wasn't until Wednesday when Brown broke a nearly two-week media silence that Brown admitted he and Hurts called an audible − and they let Sirianni take the fall for it.
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"(Sirianni) is sticking up for us," Brown said. "He made himself look like a fool for us. I have nothing but respect for him."
Hurts gets the lion's share of the credit when things go well. There have been several occasions, for example, when Hurts has improvised and the play has worked. And Sirianni said Hurts has "total freedom" to do so.
That is often followed by Sirianni lavishing Hurts with praise, such as after the Eagles' 21-17 win over the Chiefs on Nov. 19. In that game, Hurts changed the play in the fourth quarter and threw deep to DeVonta Smith for 41 yards down to the Chiefs' 1. Hurts scored what turned out to be the winning touchdown on the next play.
Hurts deserves plenty of praise. Even on this losing skid, the Eagles are 29-7 in Hurts' regular-season starts going back to midway through the 2021 season. Hurts was also an MVP favorite until the Eagles' recent struggles.
He has a career-high 3,803 yards passing this season, needing 197 more to become the second QB in Eagles' history with 4,000 yards passing (Carson Wentz had 4,039 yards in 2019).
So what does it say about Hurts' accountability when Hurts said this after he was asked about Brown's admission: "I think (Sirianni) has a way of building relationships with the players and showing up for the players with his emotion and his passion for the game. That’s all you can ask for."
Sure, Hurts could have said what Brown said: "That was on us. We messed that up. We improvised and we went on our own."
Hurts did not say that, at least not publicly. And sometimes it has seemed awkward when Hurts tried. For example, Hurts said after the Seahawks' game: "I don't think we were committed enough," only to backtrack three days later by saying, "It all starts with me. So, when I say 'we,' I mean 'me.'"
For all we know, the conversations are much different in group and team meetings. Hurts revealed this week that he and Sirianni meet one-on-one on a weekly basis. It's safe to say Hurts' decisions and thought processes on those plays come up.
One could insinuate that Hurts and Brown improvise on many more plays that don't become public knowledge. This situation in Seattle wouldn't have become public knowledge had Brown not brought it up himself nearly three weeks afterward.
But it came in the context of the Eagles limping into the playoffs having lost four of five games, with Brown refusing to talk after two games by saying, "I have nothing nice to say."
Yet left tackle Jordan Mailata told SportsRadio WIP last week that Brown organized a team trip to an escape room to build chemistry two days before the loss to Arizona.
Does that sound like a team that's disappointed in its leaders?
"Nobody really needs to know in those scenarios, Sirianni said about Brown's admission. "All that matters is that we know. If the play worked, we get better from that. If the play didn't work, we get better from that.
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"The portion of accountability I care about is what happens in this building. That was nice of A.J. to say that. He didn't have to say that. All I really care about is the accountability takes place here."
Maybe Hurts and Brown should have improvised on that second-to-last series against the Cardinals, when the Eagles faced a first-and-20 from the Cardinals' 30. Hurts ran twice, netting 1 yard. Then on third-and-19, Hurts dumped the ball off to Kenny Gainwell, setting up a go-ahead field goal.
The Cardinals then drove down the field for the game-winning touchdown.
Sirianni took the blame for that, too. "I think that's just what a lot of coaches do," he said.
Then Sirianni fixes it behind the scenes, or attempts to. Either way, Sirianni is shielding his players and making them better.
If it works, the Eagles' season will last beyond next weekend. If not, there will be plenty of blame to go around, including the quarterback.
What Eagles are risking by playing starters vs. Giants
Should the starters play or not against the Giants?
Sure, the Eagles need momentum heading into the playoffs after losing four of their last five games. And the only way the Eagles will win the NFC East is if they win AND the 4-12 Washington Commanders beat the Dallas Cowboys.
The difference between the NFC East title and the wildcard is stark. The division winner is the No. 2 seed, with at least two home games before the Super Bowl. The second-place team is the No. 5 seed, meaning that it could potentially take three road wins to reach the Super Bowl.
On the one hand, it would be a travesty if the Eagles were to rest Hurts and others only to see that the Commanders had beaten the Cowboys, as slim as those chances might be. On the other hand, the Eagles won't have a break before the playoffs, and some veterans could use a rest.
The best-case scenario is the Eagles grab a big lead by halftime, then they can pull some starters in the second half.
Then again, the Eagles had a big lead at halftime in the last two games. The Eagles led the Giants 20-3 on Dec. 25 before the Giants pulled to within two points in the third quarter. The Eagles won 33-25. Then last Sunday, the Eagles led the Cardinals 21-6 at halftime. The Cardinals had the game tied in the third quarter before winning 35-31.
Do we even need to mention the worst-case scenario?
As for the game itself, the Eagles will be short-handed at wide receiver as DeVonta Smith is out with an ankle injury suffered late against the Cardinals. Expect Quez Watkins to get playing time after sitting for the past two games. It could be the last time he's on the field as an Eagle.
CB Darius Slay will miss his fourth straight game after having arthroscopic knee surgery. But Slay did practice on a limited basis this week, a good sign for the playoffs. The Eagles will have Zach Cunningham back after he missed three games with a knee injury, and that could help a defense that has been exposed often during these last five weeks.
The Giants, meanwhile, are finishing out a disappointing 5-11 season. Will this be Saquon Barkley's last game as a Giant? Head coach Brian Daboll's?
The Eagles can't worry about any of that. They need to win, and in this case, style points matter.
Score: Eagles 27, Giants 16.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Did Eagles' Jalen Hurts escape blame as Sirianni 'looked like a fool'?
