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  • Why is A.J. Brown struggling against zone coverage? Here’s what the film says about his inconsistency.

    Why is A.J. Brown struggling against zone coverage? Here’s what the film says about his inconsistency.

    When the Eagles face the Dallas Cowboys for the second time this season on Sunday, they’ll face a team that plays the seventh-highest rate of zone coverage, according to Sharp Football Analysis.

    The Eagles passing offense — which has seen a lot of zone coverage — has been a roller coaster this season. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and wide receiver A.J. Brown haven’t put up the production to match the gaudy numbers they’ve produced together in years past.

    Brown still thrives against man coverage, catching 16 of his 25 targets for 244 yards and three touchdowns this season against man schemes, according to Next Gen Stats. But Brown not only has his lowest target per route percentage (20.9%) against zone coverage since joining the Eagles in 2022 per Next Gen, but has a career-low 38 yards after catch vs. zone coverages and is averaging 1.14 yards per route against zone coverage, the lowest rate of his career.

    Eagles vs. Cowboys: All the numbers that matter

    We took a film- and stats-based dive into why Brown is having a down year, and particularly what’s contributing to his issues against zone coverage this season as the passing game searches for consistency:

    Route variety

    For this exercise, we watched all of Brown’s targets in an Eagles uniform, beginning with his dynamo 2022 season, in which he finished with a franchise-record 1,496 receiving yards on 88 receptions with 11 receiving touchdowns.

    The playcaller that year was current Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen, and the first noticeable difference from 2022 to now is the variety of routes that Brown ran in that offense.

    According to Pro Football Focus, Brown had a near 70/30 split in terms of his alignment, with 808 of his 1,187 snaps that year coming out wide, and 342 coming from the slot. This will be important later, but that unpredictability allowed Brown to be moved around to several spots and be utilized in different ways.

    One of the best ways to get receivers the ball against zone coverage is moving the pocket and utilizing shallow crossing routes. Brown had a career-best 17.5 yards per reception vs. zone coverages, and the utilization of him getting underneath or between linebackers across the middle of the field made for easy throws for Hurts.

    Even though that route wasn’t as prevalent in 2023, the Eagles brought it back more often in 2024, especially after the bye week with the Birds sitting at 2-2. Against the Cowboys, Commanders, and Rams, there was a noticeable effort to get Brown touches and space for yards after catch opportunities on those routes, and even Brown’s touchdown in Super Bowl LIX came on a shallow cross route.

    In 2025, there have been attempts to incorporate crossing and shallow routes into the offense, but the attempts have been either infrequent or unsuccessful. A shallow route passing attempt from Hurts to Brown vs. zone coverage against Denver was rushed because of pressure and fell incomplete, and a crossing route to Brown vs. zone went for a 16-yard gain against the Giants.

    The routes that Brown was known for in Tennessee and even now as an Eagle, are in-breaking routes, including slants and dig routes. Those have been a major aspect of Brown’s game, because of his ability to create after the catch, and his physicality to withstand hits that come over the middle of the field.

    A large portion of his catches in 2022 were on those routes, and he dominated after the catch that year. According to Next Gen, 40.5% of his YAC came against zone coverage, and he caught 51 of his 78 targets against zone coverages for 892 yards. He also averaged 2.62 yards per route against zone, which is still the second-highest split of his career.

    In 2023, those numbers took a dip, to 2.19 yards per route, with just 26.7% of his YAC coming against zone coverages, per Next Gen. But the in-breaking routes were more successful post-bye last year, as his numbers crept to the highest yards per route mark (2.83) of his career and his second-highest YAC percentage (29.4%) against zone.

    This season, he’s at career-low in both categories: 1.14 yards per route and just 17.8% of his YAC are coming against zone coverages. He’s averaging just 9.7 yards per reception vs. zone and has 22 catches on 187 routes run against zone this year.

    Part of that is linked to the running game’s ineffectiveness in past years, but also the increase in heavy personnel. The Eagles are running 13 personnel (one back, three tight ends) at a 6.47% rate, according to Sumer Sports, almost double the rate from last year, and 12 personnel (one back, two tight ends) at a slightly higher rate this year (30.32%) compared to last year (30.16%).

    The Eagles are running more condensed formations while running 11 personnel (one back, one tight end) at the lowest rate since Brown as been an Eagle, with just 54.8% of their snaps. They’re also not throwing the ball as much either from empty formations, where Brown has thrived in previous years against both man and zone coverages.

    Add in that fact that Brown has been targeted on just 21.3% of his routes against zone coverage this season, his lowest rate since his rookie year in 2019 (20.7%), according to Next Gen, and it’s been a struggle for him to get the ball. Per Pro Football Focus, 13 of his 14 catches between the numbers this year came on passes of 10 yards or less, with just one coming in beyond 20 yards. In 2022, he had 14 catches beyond 10 yards between the numbers, 12 in 2023, and 10 last season.

    Formational changes

    As outlined above, formational changes have played a part in Brown’s struggles this season, with a shift to heavier personnel and dialing back 11 personnel. But so has Brown’s alignment, which has trended away from utilizing him in the slot.

    After playing 342 snaps in the slot in 2022, he played 259 in 2023, and 171 in 2024, which matched more of his alignment with the Titans in 2019-21 (when he averaged 131 slot snaps). This year, Brown is on pace for his fewest such snaps as an Eagle, with 52 of his 504 snaps coming in the slot, per PFF.

    He’s aligning outside the numbers over 88% of the time, which not only allows defenses to send multiple defenders his way, but also limits his route tree. Almost all of his routes against the Lions last week were outside the numbers and he played just four snaps in the slot.

    Having Brown in the slot not only creates opportunities for mismatches, but it gives him a chance to create big plays against linebackers and safeties. The 2023 season probably shows his slot usage best, when Brown had career-highs in routes (366), targets (89) and catches (62) against zone coverage with 801 receiving yards, his second-highest total behind the 2022 season.

    The route spacing this season just isn’t as sharp as years past and it seems to bring some hesitancy from Hurts in challenging those windows at times. Hurts had no problem ripping the ball Brown in 2022 and 2023 on curl or in-breaking routes, but appears not as confident in doing so this year.

    Brown had targets where he sat in the soft spot of zone coverage against Denver and Green Bay, and against the former, Hurts eventually hit him after scrambling and immediately put the ball on him against the Packers.

    What could help?

    One way to combat some of the bracket coverages and extra attention that Brown is getting from opposing defenses is to have him align on the same side as DeVonta Smith. Especially against zone coverages, the alignment puts defenses in a bind, forcing them to choose one star receiver or the other.

    A lot of Brown’s big plays against zone coverage in those situations came in either 12 personnel or empty formations, and since the heavier personnel isn’t working this year, adding more empty passes could be beneficial for Brown and the Eagles’ passing game.

    Most of the time the Eagles are attacking downfield this year, its in man coverage situations, but Hurts and the passing attack has shown the ability to hit “hole shots” which are passes in between the corner and safety in zone coverage. They did so in 2022 and 2023 to Brown, making two-high zone coverages pay for not sending help to the corner on such throws.

    The Eagles have Smith and Brown run hitch routes above league-average this year (16.5%), at 24.5% and 23.7%, respectively, according to Next Gen, and that will always be an identity of the offense. But adding in more variations, where Brown isn’t always working along the sidelines, could help open some throwing windows for Hurts.

    Whether it’s adding him more to the slot or utilizing more empty formations and 11 personnel, there has to be a more concerted effort for the Eagles to find more easy targets for Brown and find answers to their issues against zone coverage. Unlocking this dimension could be the step forward the offense needs.

  • Eagles tackle Fred Johnson says it’s ‘time to show what I can do’ as he fills in for Lane Johnson again

    Eagles tackle Fred Johnson says it’s ‘time to show what I can do’ as he fills in for Lane Johnson again

    Nick Sirianni’s message for Fred Johnson during his annual meeting when he explains each player’s role on the team was pretty simple.

    The Eagles had just reacquired Johnson via trade at the end of training camp. They weren’t comfortable with their depth at tackle, and Johnson’s quest to be a starter when he signed with Jacksonville in free agency had not gone as planned.

    The message, and the role: “Be ready for when your number’s called,” Sirianni said Wednesday. “You just never know when that’s going to be, and that’s every backup. Every guy’s one snap away from going in. We have a lot of faith in [Johnson].”

    The role, Johnson said, was “the same role as last year. Be ready to go at any moment.”

    The moment, once again, has come.

    The Eagles and Johnson have been here before. Last season, Johnson started five games as a fill-in for Lane Johnson (once) and Jordan Mailata (four times), and he has come on in relief of Lane Johnson multiple times this season. But while Fred Johnson’s role is the same, and he’s being called on once again to fill in for Lane Johnson — who will likely hit injured reserve and miss at least the next four games with a Lisfranc injury to his right foot — he doesn’t want a repeat of last year.

    There were things he “would have taken back,” he said. He felt as if he was just waiting for the starters in front of him to come back rather than trying to seize the opportunity.

    “Lane Johnson is cemented in stone as one of the greats,” Fred Johnson said. “Fred Johnson is still trying to make a name for himself.

    “Now is my time to show what I can do.”

    What we know (and don’t) about the Eagles entering Week 12 vs. the Cowboys

    He has been a reliable backup for the Eagles so far. Four times this season, he has been asked to come in at right tackle to replace Lane Johnson, the Eagles’ perennial Pro Bowler.

    The Eagles first added Fred Johnson as a practice squad member in November 2022. In addition to filling in, he has been used as an extra blocker in the Eagles’ jumbo package this season.

    “There’s a reason why we were putting him into playing those big packages because we have a lot of faith in him,” Sirianni said. “For what we were trying to do, we felt like he was one of our best 11 to do what we were trying to do on those particular plays.”

    Eagles tackle Fred Johnson is a seventh-year veteran who also has played for the Bengals and Buccaneers.

    It is no secret that the Eagles are a worse football team without Lane Johnson. They are 12-23 since the beginning of the 2016 season in games he doesn’t start. Fred Johnson, though, has at least provided some reliable backup play over the last two seasons.

    But some of the numbers show a big difference. The offense’s struggles, particularly in the running game, are well documented at this point. But when the Eagles do choose to run behind Lane Johnson — something they probably should do with more frequency — they have found success. According to Next Gen Stats, the Eagles average 4.6 yards on their 84 designed runs to the right side with Lane Johnson on the field. That average drops to 2.4 yards on 40 runs to the right side with him off the field.

    Pass protection sees a similar drop-off.

    According to Pro Football Focus, Lane Johnson has allowed seven pressures (and no sacks) on 262 pass-blocking snaps, a pressure rate of 2.67%. Fred Johnson, meanwhile, has also allowed seven pressures, but on 77 pass-blocking snaps, a pressure rate of 9.09%.

    Eagles rookie Jihaad Campbell sees ‘opportunity’ and the bigger picture in his new role

    The Eagles will need to make adjustments, or live with the fact that their already-struggling offense is going to find improvements hard to come by for the duration of Lane Johnson’s absence.

    “Lane’s one of the best players in the NFL, so it makes you do a couple different things here and there,” Sirianni said. “With that being said, I have a lot of faith in the guys with Fred. … We need all hands on deck. We’ve had a lot of guys play, so a lot of experience doing that, not just with Lane, but with every position.”

    Fred Johnson, 28, said knowing he is starting changes little except getting more first-team reps in practice. He prepares to play every week.

    “Fred knows the drill,” Mailata said. “Fred knows what’s going on, what we’re going to ask of him.”

    Mailata said he sees a difference this year in the backup’s mindset and how he approaches the game plan each week. He thought Fred Johnson’s size and skills would have landed him a starting job and was excited to have the “extra-extrovert” back in the building when the Eagles traded him for after camp.

    “We got lucky,” Mailata said. “We got really lucky.”

    Maybe Fred Johnson did, too. For the next stretch of games, he’ll have another chance to, as he said, show what he can do. He wants the 2025 version to be better than the 2024 version. He thought he “left some meat on the bone” last time around.

    “I don’t want nobody to see a down step in physicality, execution, things like that that Lane does day in and day out,” he said. “I want people to forget that I’m even on the field.”

  • Eagles vs. Cowboys in Week 12: Here are the numbers that matter

    Eagles vs. Cowboys in Week 12: Here are the numbers that matter

    The Eagles this weekend head to Dallas, where they will try to sweep their rival for the second consecutive season and move one step closer to clinching the NFC East for the second straight year. They would become the first team to win the division in consecutive seasons since they did it in 2004.

    Here are some important numbers and trends for Sunday’s game:

    4.6 … 2.4

    Lane Johnson’s impact on the Eagles is a well-known fact. As a reminder, the Eagles are 12-23 since the start of the 2016 season in games Johnson hasn’t started.

    What is a Lisfranc injury? And what does it mean for Lane Johnson?

    Let’s get a little more granular.

    The Eagles’ running game has not been close to what it was in 2024, and it’s a big reason the offense ranks 25th in the NFL in yards per game. But Johnson has at least been a player the Eagles can run behind (when they choose to). In 84 designed runs to the right side when Johnson is on the field, the Eagles are getting 4.6 yards per attempt, according to Next Gen Stats. In 40 carries to the right side with Johnson off the field, the Eagles average 2.4 yards.

    The Eagles will be without Lane Johnson (center) indefinitely.

    Further, the Eagles have totaled minus-16 rushing yards before contact (an average of minus-0.4 yards) and 113 rushing yards after contact (2.8 per) on designed runs to the right side, resulting in 97 net rushing yards.

    That’s not great.

    Eagles rookie Jihaad Campbell sees ‘opportunity’ and the bigger picture in his new role

    +6 … -4

    The Eagles’ obsession with possessing the football and not giving it away is nothing new. It’s largely the impetus behind their conservative offensive approach.

    The tendencies of the two teams that have led to the difference in turnover differential — plus-6 for the Eagles (seventh-best), minus-4 for the Cowboys (21st) — could play a big part in the result.

    Jalen Hurts has been impressive in not turning the ball over. He’s up to 156 consecutive passes without throwing an interception when under pressure, according to Next Gen, dating back to Week 2 of last season against the Falcons. That’s the second-longest active streak in the NFL.

    14.8%

    What was the cure to getting A.J. Brown the football a little more last week? Man coverage. The Lions deploy man coverage at the third-highest rate in the NFL, according to Sharp Analytics.

    Brown saw a lot of Rock Ya-Sin, who matched up with the receiver on 19 of his 28 routes, according to Next Gen, including 14 man-coverage matchups. Eight of Brown’s 11 targets came against Ya-Sin.

    What we know (and don’t) about the Eagles entering Week 12 vs. the Cowboys

    Well, expect a lot less man coverage on Sunday.

    The Cowboys, according to Sharp Analytics, play man coverage just 14.8% of the time, the fourth-lowest rate in the NFL.

    The Eagles have struggled against zone, and Dallas may be wise to stick to its tendencies.

    9-33

    The Cowboys are a dangerous team. They have one of the best offenses in the NFL by yards per game (third, 378.7) and points per game (second, 29.6). They lead the NFL in passing yards per game (258.7).

    But they have largely beaten up on bad teams. Sure, they trounced the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football a few days ago, but they were coming off double-digit losses to Arizona and Denver, which rolled Dallas in a 44-24 game on Oct. 26.

    Eagles linebacker Jalyx Hunt puts heat on Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott during the first quarter in Week 1.

    Dallas’ wins this season are against the Giants, Jets, Commanders, and Raiders, four teams with a combined record of 9-33.

    How can an offense this dominant belong to a team with a 4-5-1 record? The defense is almost as bad as the offense is good. Maybe Jerry Jones shouldn’t have traded Micah Parsons, one of the best defenders in the NFL.

    Dallas owns the third-worst defense in yards allowed per game (381.3), and the second-worst in points allowed (29.3).

    The Eagles, of course, haven’t looked of late like an offense that is capable of putting up big numbers, but Sunday’s opponent could be the remedy.

    42.9%

    Just five weeks ago, when the Eagles were 4-2, their percentage chance of making the playoffs, according to FTN Fantasy, was 59.2%.

    Now, they are up to 42.9% to clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Funny what a four-game winning streak — coupled with some poor play from the rest of the NFC East — can do to a team.

    A trip to the playoffs is pretty much sewn up. The Eagles have a 99.6% chance of making the postseason.

  • Frustrations with Jalen Hurts? Quarterback says he holds himself accountable.

    Frustrations with Jalen Hurts? Quarterback says he holds himself accountable.

    According to Jalen Hurts, scrutiny comes with the territory of being the franchise quarterback.

    Hurts isn’t lacking in scrutiny, especially as the Eagles offense is still trying to establish an identity despite being more than halfway through the season. Longtime Eagles reporter Derrick Gunn said on former Eagles linebacker Seth Joyner’s postgame show Sunday night that “there’s a lot of people in that organization that are frustrated with the quarterback situation right now.”

    Kevin Patullo frustrated with offense’s negative plays vs. Lions

    He likened it to “Carson Wentz Part 2,” referring to the 2021 trade when the Eagles dealt the former franchise quarterback to the Indianapolis Colts and took on a $33.8 million dead salary-cap hit — the largest in league history at the time. While Gunn said the Eagles are “not going to eat this kind of money yet” with Hurts, he also asserted that “the quarterback understands he has them over a barrel.” Hurts signed a five-year, $255 million contract extension in April 2023, and his cap figures for 2026 and 2027 total more than $73 million.

    When asked for his reaction to the report, Hurts responded that he’s just going to work every day and continue to try to do his best. He also acknowledged that it’s his responsibility to handle criticism as the franchise quarterback.

    “I guess I get a lot of attention when things are going well and when things are not going so well,” Hurts said. “So I never run away from holding myself accountable and I think that’s exactly what I’ve taken the approach of doing. Even when I look at this last game, I take great pride in what we do on offense. I take great pride in how we go out there and play as a team and what our flow is.

    “So we obviously got work to do, and I think that obviously starts with me. That’s always my approach. That’s always me looking internally first in everything that we do. And in due time, rising above.”

    A.J. Brown (11) is among those who have expressed frustrations with the offense, but has not directed complaints to Jalen Hurts, the quarterback said.

    Hurts also said that the reported locker room frustrations haven’t been brought to him directly by anyone within the organization. When asked if he would be open to teammates or coaches coming to him with those concerns, he expressed that he didn’t want to entertain a hypothetical situation.

    “Ultimately, it’s about coming in here, working, and leading,” Hurts said. ”And bringing good energy and going out there and showing it by how you work. At the end of the day, we are here to play as a team and to play together and go out there and find ways to win. That’s where we all have our focus at.”

    Hurts and the Eagles offense will attempt to refocus on the heels of a shaky two-week span. Despite winning their last two games following the bye week, the unit has scored just 26 points, the second-fewest among teams that have played two games in that stretch (and the lowest among teams with two wins).

    The Eagles quarterback had his lowest completion percentage of the season against the Lions (50%), although 14.8% of his passes were dropped, according to Pro Football Reference.

    The offense showed flashes of potential during the two-week stretch before the bye that included wins over the Minnesota Vikings and the New York Giants. Hurts had a perfect passer rating (158.3) against the Vikings and came close to matching that effort against the Giants (141.5).

    Week 12 NFL power rankings roundup: ESPN drops Eagles from top spot after win

    Still, the offense’s overall numbers reflect a lack of consistency from week to week. The group ranks 16th in points and 25th in yards. While the efficiency of the passing game isn’t much different from the 2024 Super Bowl season (6.3 net yards per pass attempt in 2025 compared to 6.5 in 2024), the running game has seen a serious drop-off (3.9 yards per rush in 2025; 4.9 in 2024).

    “I think a lot of the things are internal wounds a bit,” Hurts said of the offense’s woes. “It’s about correcting those things. It’s a lot of opportunities out there for us. We’ve just got to take advantage of them. I’ve spoken on particulars in what we do, just having alignment in that, having a vision, and then going out there and establishing an identity and committing to it.

    “I think over the course of the year, we’ve gone out there and played different styles of games in almost all of the games. It’s about sitting in something, committing to it, and then going out there and saying, ‘This is what we’re going to do.’ And push forward. You watch the course of the season, I watch the course of the season, and I don’t think it’s a capability thing. It’s a matter of having great focus and ultimately pursuing the same thing as an offensive unit and from a bigger perspective as a team.”

    Jalen Hurts, head coach Nick Sirianni and offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo have been actively trying to overcome the offense’s inconsistency.

    Despite Gunn’s report pointing at internal frustration with Hurts, Nick Sirianni emphasized Tuesday during an appearance on 94 WIP’s morning show that he isn’t among those with concerns.

    “Shoot, I’m not frustrated with him,” Sirianni said. “He goes out there and does his job each week and does a great job of putting us in position to win games. That’s the name of the game. Particularly, for the quarterback, what are you doing to help your team win football games? And, shoot, he finds a way to help us win.

    “I love his attention to detail and I love his leadership and I love his mindset of, ‘I’m going to do everything I can do to win this game. Sometimes that means handing it off, sometimes that means me running it. And sometimes that means me throwing it where I need to throw it.’ He does a great job of leading this football team.”

  • HBO releases trailer for in-season ‘Hard Knocks’ featuring the Eagles and NFC East

    HBO releases trailer for in-season ‘Hard Knocks’ featuring the Eagles and NFC East

    Ahead of the 2025 season, HBO and NFL Films announced its in-season edition of Hard Knocks would follow the NFC East, which meant behind-the-scenes access to the Eagles, as well as their division rivals — the Dallas Cowboys, the Washington Commanders and the New York Giants.

    At the time, it sounded like cinema.

    Following one of the toughest divisions in the NFL, one that featured the reigning Super Bowl champions, as well as some of the biggest names in the sport — including the Eagles’ A.J. Brown and Jalen Hurts, Cowboys’ Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, Commanders’ Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin, and Giants’ Russell Wilson and Malik Nabers — seemed like appointment viewing.

    However, it took a turn after a number of setbacks plagued each team. The Commanders (3-8) lost star quarterback Daniels to a dislocated elbow in Week 9. The Giants (2-9) have started three different quarterbacks and fired head coach Brian Daboll. The Cowboys (4-5-1) have battled inconsistency while adjusting under first-year coach Brian Schottenheimer. Even the Eagles (8-2), who are running away with the division, are still trying to figure out their offense and drama continues to surround Brown.

    It’s not exactly the tight race fans were expecting — but there’s still likely to be plenty of drama. Fans can now get an early look at the series after HBO revealed its first trailer.

    Hard Knocks: In Season with the NFC East will premiere on HBO on Dec. 2 and can be streamed on HBO Max. New episodes will premiere every Tuesday throughout the end of the NFL regular season and into the playoffs.

  • A look at the custom cleats and causes the Eagles are supporting for NFL’s My Cause My Cleats initiative

    A look at the custom cleats and causes the Eagles are supporting for NFL’s My Cause My Cleats initiative

    It’s not just Dallas week for the Eagles. It also happens to be the start of the NFL’s 10th annual My Cause My Cleats initiative, which allows players to wear their hearts on their feet — by highlighting a charity of their choice with custom cleats through creative artwork and designs.

    “My Cause My Cleats is a player-driven platform that does a tremendous job of amplifying the voices, charitable causes, and social issues that matter most,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement. “I am especially proud of our players for always taking this opportunity to drive change and draw attention to the organizations that work year-round to help others. The dedication of those in our building is inspiring and a testament to their ongoing commitment to making a positive difference in the community.”

    This year’s My Cause My Cleats campaign will take place during Weeks 12 and 13. While the players will lace up their cleats Sunday against Dallas, the Eagles’ coaching staff will highlight the Eagles Autism Foundation during the team’s Black Friday game against the Chicago Bears by wearing custom Nike sneakers on the sideline.

    Game-worn cleats will be auctioned off at NFL Auction, with all proceeds donated to the charities chosen by players. Ahead of Sunday’s game, we’ve picked out some of the Eagles’ custom cleats, but you can check them all out — and find out more on the charities they support — here …

    Jalen Hurts’ custom Jordan 1 cleats will highlight the Jalen Hurts Foundation.

    Jalen Hurts

    Jalen Hurts will be highlighting the Jalen Hurts Foundation, which aims to “strengthen communities by servicing and advancing the youth.” Similar to last year’s cleats, the quarterback’s baby blue Jordan 1s will have the foundation’s logo painted across the toe of the shoe.

    Jalen Hurts’ growing relationship with Jordan is helping the Eagles QB express himself: ‘Each pair is like a canvas’
    A.J. Brown will support the A.J. Brown Foundation with his custom green and purple Vapor Edge 360 “Untouchable” cleats.

    A.J. Brown

    Similar to last year’s look, wide receiver A.J. Brown will stick with a bold colorway — sporting green and purple Vapor Edge 360 Untouchable cleats to support youth development with the A.J. Brown Foundation. The Joker-like cleats feature a silhouette of Brown walking hand-in-hand with children above the foundation’s name.

    Cooper DeJean will highlight cancer awareness and prevention with his custom cleats.

    Cooper DeJean

    Cornerback Cooper DeJean is highlighting cancer awareness and prevention with custom cleats designed to honor the University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital.

    Representing the school’s colors, the cleats feature a yellow colorway with a painting of the hospital on the inside of the shoe. Different colored handprints decorate the cleats, and “Iowa” is painted along the outside.

    DeVonta Smith will support the Eagles Autism Foundation with custom Under Armour Spotlight Pro Suede cleats.

    DeVonta Smith

    Wide receiver DeVonta Smith will honor the Eagles Autism Foundation, wearing custom Under Armour Spotlight Pro Suede cleats that feature the autism puzzle pieces decorating an all-lime green body.

    Nakobe Dean is supporting youth development with custom cleats designed to honor Kind Hearts 4 Lyfe.

    Nakobe Dean

    Nakobe Dean is supporting youth development with custom cleats designed to honor Kind Hearts 4 Lyfe. The Eagles linebacker started the foundation to “provide community outreach programs and services that support, assist, and positively impact the lives of people of all ages.”

    Dean’s all-red cleats have the organization’s logo on the heel with its slogan, “Reaching for the hand, but touching the heart,” running along both shoes. Hearts decorate the inside of the Nike logo.

    Zack Baun’s custom Nike Alpha Menace 4 Varsity cleats highlight the Special Olympics.

    Zack Baun

    Linebacker Zack Baun is highlighting the Special Olympics. His custom Nike Alpha Menace 4 Varsity cleats feature a sleek red, white, and black design with the Special Olympics logo on the toe of the shoe.

    Britain Covey’s all-pink cleats are decorated with horseshoes to honor Bridle up Hope and the Rachel Covey Foundation.

    Britain Covey

    Britain Covey is supporting women’s mental health by highlighting Bridle Up Hope and the Rachel Covey Foundation. Its mission is to “inspire hope, confidence, and resilience in girls and women through horses and habits.” The foundation was founded after the death of Rachel Covey, Britain’s cousin, who battled depression for many years. Covey’s all-pink cleats are decorated with horseshoes and the foundation’s name.

    Grant Calcaterra is supporting first responders by highlighting the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

    Grant Calcaterra

    Grant Calcaterra is supporting first responders by highlighting the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, whose mission is to “honor America’s fallen fire heroes and support their families, colleagues, and organizations,” as well as reduce the number of preventable fires.

    The tight end’s custom Jordan 1 cleats are painted to replicate a firefighter extinguishing a fire in a burning building, with the artist utilizing the Nike swoosh as the water from the hose. The organization’s logo decorates the heel of the cleats. Calcaterra previously pursued becoming a firefighter before continuing his football career.

    Joshua Uche’s custom Jordan 11 cleats support the Innocence Project.

    Joshua Uche

    Edge rusher Joshua Uche is using his platform to support social justice by highlighting the Innocence Project, which works to exonerate those who have been wrongly convicted of crimes. His custom Jordan 11 cleats are decorated in broken chains with the words “reform,” “justice,” and “equity” written across the cleats’ upper.

    Lane Johnson’s camouflage cleats honor the Travis Manion Foundation.

    Lane Johnson

    Lane Johnson won’t be playing, but the Eagles right tackle is again highlighting the Travis Manion Foundation, supporting veterans and the families of fallen military members. His cleats feature a black and gray camouflage design with a gold star alongside the outside of both cleats.

    Lane Johnson is driven by the motto of a Doylestown Marine killed in Iraq.

  • Vic Fangio’s best Eagles defense yet, Jason Kelce’s ‘biggest concern’ on offense, and more from ‘New Heights’

    Vic Fangio’s best Eagles defense yet, Jason Kelce’s ‘biggest concern’ on offense, and more from ‘New Heights’

    While the Eagles (8-2) topped the Lions, 16-9, on Sunday and continue to lead the division, not all has been to Philadelphia’s standard.

    Unsurprisingly, retired Eagles center Jason Kelce had some constructive criticism for what he called a “frustrating” Birds offense. He shared his thoughts on the game in the latest episode of his New Heights podcast, alongside his brother and Kansas City Chiefs tight end, Travis Kelce.

    Defense continues to impress

    In Jason Kelce’s view, the most notable success of Sunday’s win was limiting a potent Lions offense to just nine points. Travis Kelce also recognized the Philadelphia defense’s ability to stop Detroit on fourth down on all five of its attempts.

    “The [Eagles] defense is playing unbelievable right now,” Jason said. “Probably the best they’ve played since Vic Fangio’s been here. … And it’s at every single level of the defense. The defensive line is playing out of their minds. Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter were playing volleyball out there, batting down passes left and right.”

    Eagles rookie Jihaad Campbell sees ‘opportunity’ and the bigger picture in his new role

    One of those deflected passes turned into an interception for cornerback Cooper DeJean, who picked off Lions quarterback Jared Goff in the first quarter, leading to an Eagles field goal.

    “Batting down those passes early, that clearly got [the Lions] out of their rhythm,” Kelce added.

    After finishing with 2,005 yards last season, Saquon Barkley is on pace to finish with 1,125 this season.

    Kelce’s ‘biggest concern’ with the Eagles

    The longtime Eagles center was less satisfied with his former team when it came to the offensive side of the ball.

    He recognized the midgame blow of not having Lane Johnson on the field. The offensive tackle went down in the first quarter with a foot injury and is expected to be sidelined for several weeks.

    “I don’t know how long [Johnson] is going to be out, but that’s something that has decimated this offense in years past,” Kelce said. “Whenever Lane’s been out, it’s been very detrimental. Positively, Fred Johnson has played well in his snaps that he’s had to go in for Lane. But make no mistake, they’re going to miss Lane.”

    Kevin Patullo frustrated with offense’s negative plays vs. Lions; Eagles have Nolan Smith on a snap count

    However, Kelce stated that the Eagles have wider struggles on offense to address — particularly, not maximizing their potential to run the ball.

    “We have to get the ground game going,” Kelce said. “Everyone wants to talk about this year’s offense vs. last year’s offense, and vs. previous offenses with Jalen Hurts. The number one difference is that we can’t run the football. We’re not running it at a consistent, successful rate. …

    “We have to be demoralizing in the ground game. And [the Eagles] can be. They should be, and they’re just not. It’s frustrating to watch.”

  • Jordan Davis plays quarterback, and serves up a Thanksgiving meal to Camden families: ‘It takes a village’

    Jordan Davis plays quarterback, and serves up a Thanksgiving meal to Camden families: ‘It takes a village’

    The Eagles’ Jordan Davis had a different role Tuesday night at the Salvation Army Camden Kroc Center. The 6-foot-6, 336-pound defensive tackle lined up under center as the designated quarterback in a room with over 100 children, ready to play flag football.

    Davis spent time with four teams, joining each huddle and running plays as he introduced football to several kids who had never played the sport before.

    “This is the best flag football team in Camden, New Jersey. And I’m standing on that right now,” Davis said. “If I had so much time, I would actually coach y’all because y’all have so much potential.”

    Week 12 NFL power rankings roundup: ESPN drops Eagles from top spot after win

    This was just one way the North Carolina native helped families in need Tuesday. The Jordan Davis Family Foundation provided a fully catered Thanksgiving meal to families who attended. And to end the night, all the families were handed Thanksgiving turkeys and AT&T laptops as they left the Kroc Center.

    The Jordan Davis Family Foundation provided Thanksgiving meals for families at the Salvation Army Camden Kroc Center in Camden on Tuesday night.

    Partnering with the Salvation Army is a full-circle moment for Davis. When he was a child, his family received assistance from the organization. Now, it’s his turn to give back.

    “It was hard for my mom, just making sure that we had a meal every night, me and my brothers,” Davis said. “And even nights that she might have sacrificed the meal for herself, it was always meant for us to eat. And I think that’s just a wonderful story for me because it shows the type of woman that she is.

    “She raised me to be that way. And it might not be a meal here, it could be a coat drive. It could be another drive. It could be a back-to-school event. It could be a kids camp. Anything matters. Everything matters. So, that’s just something that I keep in my heart, and I want to keep that going.”

    Davis isn’t the only Eagles player giving back ahead of the holiday season. Last week, running back Saquon Barkley partnered with Ashley Furniture and the Salvation Army to give out mattresses and bedding to families in need.

    Jordan Davis played flag football with the kids after eating providing a Thanksgiving meal through his foundation on Tuesday night.

    “It takes a village to raise a child,” Davis said. “And that’s something that my team, we always say. It takes a village. … When you have an opportunity to give back, it doesn’t matter what time it is. As long as you have that time, you want to make sure that you’re providing that time.

    “Time is the most important thing you can spend. And we could be doing anything else with this time right now, but we spend it giving back and we spend it doing the things that matter most to us.”

  • Eagles rookie Jihaad Campbell sees ‘opportunity’ and the bigger picture in his new role

    Eagles rookie Jihaad Campbell sees ‘opportunity’ and the bigger picture in his new role

    Jihaad Campbell paused briefly in the middle of answering a question last week inside the Eagles’ locker room at the NovaCare Complex. The linebacker was drinking his post-practice smoothie too quickly and needed to take a beat.

    A few weeks ago, Campbell passed protein-packed gummies to a few reporters near his locker stall, playfully offering a snack in a trade for an interview request.

    It is easy to forget sometimes that Campbell, who is playing pretty high-level football and is 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, is still so young. The Eagles might go win another Super Bowl, and Campbell could parade down Broad Street before his first year being able to legally buy alcohol in the U.S. is over.

    Kevin Patullo frustrated with offense’s negative plays vs. Lions; Eagles have Nolan Smith on a snap count

    That Campbell is a 21-year-old rookie is necessary context, considering the topic on the day of his smoothie-induced brain freeze. Since Nakobe Dean has returned to the defense after recovering from a patellar tendon injury, Campbell’s usage has declined.

    On Sunday, Campbell played his lowest number of total snaps (20) and his lowest snap share (34%) of the season. The addition of Jaelan Phillips, too, has meant less need for Campbell, a hybrid inside-outside linebacker, to take snaps along the defensive line. He lined up there just three times Sunday and 17 times in the box as a linebacker, according to Pro Football Focus.

    Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs slips past Jihaad Campbell of the Eagles on Sunday night.

    Compare that to Week 6 — when Dean returned but only as a special-teamer — and the decline in playing time is pretty drastic. That week, in a Thursday night road loss to the New York Giants, Campbell played 45 snaps from the box, 13 along the line, and four at a corner spot. His 62 defensive reps represented 90% of the possible snaps.

    What we know (and don’t) about the Eagles entering Week 12 vs. the Cowboys

    Campbell has taken it all in stride. If Dean had been healthy at the beginning of the season, perhaps this current rotation, with Campbell being used part time, would have been what happened from the jump.

    Vic Fangio’s defense is new to Campbell, and though he performed well against the run and in coverage during the early weeks, he knows he still has a lot of learning to do.

    “It’s football,” Campbell said. “The opportunity is going to present itself whether I get less snaps or not. It doesn’t matter. What matters is us winning, us executing, us playing together, and, at the end of the day, it’s all about the opportunity.

    “The biggest thing is just staying prepared, not getting down, and just staying prepared, understanding the game plan and what has to happen, so when it is my time to go in the game, I know exactly what I have to do, when I have to do it, with full confidence.”

    The last two weeks, Campbell has been in for about an equal amount of running plays (25) as passing plays (28), and he was in for just one pass-rushing snap in each of the last two games.

    Dean is looking like the player who broke out in a big way in 2024 next to Zack Baun, but Fangio said he wants to continue rotating Campbell in to make sure the rookie is “ready to roll” if he is needed more often. There is a learning curve in all of this, Fangio explained last week, particularly when Campbell is asked to play outside linebacker.

    Linebackers Jihaad Campbell (30) and Zack Baun react after the Eagles stopped the Lions on fourth down in the second quarter Sunday.

    “All camp and everything, he was strictly inside because we knew Nakobe was going to miss seven games or whatever it was,” Fangio said. “For a rookie, that’s tough.”

    Fangio likened it to last season, when the Eagles “messed” with Quinyon Mitchell a little bit during camp. They had the cornerback working at nickel during the early portions of the offseason program and eventually let him settle in as a corner on the right side.

    With Cooper DeJean, they started him as a backup nickel and starting dime cornerback because of the time he missed at the beginning of training camp. Once DeJean was settled in as the starting nickel, he took off.

    “You don’t want to give a rookie too many extra jobs, but sometimes you’re forced to,” Fangio said.

    Jihaad Campbell, Eagles linebacker? It doesn’t seem real for his Birds fan grandfather: ‘Can’t put words to it’

    Fangio said he does whatever is best for the team when asked how he balanced what he puts on Campbell’s plate in a given week. Winning a given game, Fangio said, is more important than taking into consideration Campbell’s long-term development.

    The Eagles traded up a spot to draft Campbell 31st out of Alabama in fear of another team trading into the spot to grab him. They view him as a versatile defender who will be part of the defense for years to come. Dean, it’s worth mentioning, is in the final year of his contract, and it remains to be seen what will happen in the offseason.

    Campbell, a South Jersey native, is so far loving life in the NFL and playing so close to home. Sometimes, he said, he forgets what week on the schedule it is.

    “I’m just like practice, practice, practice, next game,” he said. “Practice, practice, practice, next game.”

    Jihaad Campbell sees his rookie season as “a great opportunity to display my skills and display who I am.”

    Campbell said his confidence keeps “growing and growing” every week, even as his workload during games has changed.

    “A lot of people can view it as a lot,” Campbell said. “But for me it’s like a day-by-day process and understanding what I have to do to attack the day at a high level and execute the plays that I need to and do what I got drafted here for.

    “I truly believe that the situations I’m being put in, it’s a great opportunity to display my skills and display who I am. Of course, there’s learning and growing and different stuff like that, but I think the biggest thing is just me being where my feet are, me getting better with practice and after practice, 500 shots, working on my pass rush, working to continue to be a better linebacker.

    “Just being a complete overachiever, a guy that just loves to work and just loves being around this great group of guys here.

    “At the end of the day, it’s all about getting a win.”

  • Kevin Patullo frustrated with offense’s negative plays vs. Lions; Eagles have Nolan Smith on a snap count

    Kevin Patullo frustrated with offense’s negative plays vs. Lions; Eagles have Nolan Smith on a snap count

    Another week, another lackluster performance from the Eagles offense.

    While the Eagles defense came up with five fourth-down stops against the Detroit Lions — plus Cooper DeJean’s first-quarter interception — the offense didn’t have much to show for it. They scored nine points off those defensive stops (three field goals).

    The Eagles went 1-of-3 in the red zone (33.3%, the offense’s second-worst rate of the season) and 4-of-15 on third down (26.7%, its fourth-worst rate). Kevin Patullo defended Jalen Hurts’ performance (14-of-28 for 135 passing yards) and asserted that the quarterback “played well” and took care of the football during “a difficult kind of game.”

    What we know (and don’t) about the Eagles entering Week 12 vs. the Cowboys

    When asked for his biggest frustration following the game against the Lions, the Eagles offensive coordinator pointed to a familiar issue for the group — negative plays, of which the offense had five (including a sack), and penalties, six of which came against the offense (not including a delay of game).

    “I think like everything, when you look at the situations we have sometimes, when we’re on track, we do a pretty good job,” Patullo said. “And if we get off track a little bit, whether it’s a negative play or a penalty, that puts us kind of in a hole. We’ve had some trouble with that.

    “It starts with us as a staff to make sure we’re in a good play and we’re executing at a high level and we’re all detailed up. And then if something happens like a penalty, sometimes those happen. We’ve got to be able to overcome that.”

    One of the most eye-catching differences in the passing game between Weeks 10 and 11 was A.J. Brown’s involvement. The 28-year-old receiver went from three targets against the Packers to 11 against the Lions and finished Sunday’s game with seven catches for 49 yards.

    However, Patullo pushed back on the perception that he made a concerted effort to get Brown the ball.

    Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown had seven catches on 11 targets against the Lions.

    “It was really no different,” Patullo said. “I think, really, the plan was pretty much similar to how it was every other game with him, and the ball found him a little bit more, which is great. And he made some critical plays for us when we needed it. Made some really tough catches in traffic, and that’s what he’s awesome [at]. He’s a phenomenal player and did a really good job from that standpoint.”

    Brown indeed made critical plays, including his 11-yard reception in the red zone in the second quarter that picked up a fresh set of downs and helped set up the Eagles’ lone touchdown.

    But in the third quarter, Brown and Hurts also had an uncharacteristic miss on a go ball down the left sideline with Lions cornerback Rock Ya-Sin matched up against him in single coverage. Brown appeared to slow down on the route, which Patullo attributed to his battle down the field with Ya-Sin.

    Hayes: Lane Johnson’s absence means more ‘bleep show’ offense for Eagles; Nakobe Dean inspires

    “He got kind of tangled up with a DB,” Patullo said. “I’m not so sure he located the ball wholeheartedly. But we’ve just got to continue to find ways to just connect on those kind of things and work on them in practice and really, throughout the history of it, Jalen and A.J. do an unbelievable job of connecting on those kind of things, and we’ll continue to throw them to them because he’s going to do his job and get open, and we usually hit them.”

    Smith’s snaps limited

    The Eagles’ defensive front has been on a tear the last two games, and one of its most important players isn’t even contributing on a full-time basis.

    Nolan Smith has been on a snap limitation, according to defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, since he returned from injured reserve for the Eagles’ Week 10 game against the Green Bay Packers. Smith, the 24-year-old edge rusher, has played just 32.3% of the defensive snaps over the last two weeks, down from 75.9% in Weeks 1-3.

    Fangio confirmed Tuesday that the decision to prevent Smith from seeing the field as often isn’t coming from him.

    “You’ll have to speak to [vice president of sports medicine] Tom [Hunekle] about that,” Fangio said Tuesday when asked about Smith’s decrease in snaps. “I don’t know.”

    Eagles edge rusher Nolan Smith (3) has played 32.3% of the defensive snaps over the last two weeks, including on Nov. 10 in Green Bay.

    Smith’s workload increased slightly on Sunday night against the Lions. He played 37.5% of the defensive snaps, up from 27.9% against the Packers. He wasn’t as impactful against Detroit, though, and finished the game without a quarterback pressure for the first time this season, according to Next Gen Stats.

    While Smith may still be working through his triceps injury, the Eagles edge rusher corps has stepped up in his absence, thanks to the addition of Jaelan Phillips. The former Miami Dolphins outside linebacker has led the group in defensive snaps (77.2%) since he joined the team. His 21.3% pressure rate leads all Eagles defensive linemen this season.

    Linebackers rotation

    Don’t expect Fangio to shake up the rotation of linebackers Nakobe Dean and Jihaad Campbell alongside Zack Baun any time soon.

    Nick Sirianni wins in spite of himself, some might say. Those critics are wrong.

    The Eagles defensive coordinator said that rotation will “probably stay similar” going forward.

    “Just because, keep Jihaad in there ready to roll, ’cause he’s the next guy up as an ILB,” Fangio said. “But he’s been getting time, too, at OLB.”

    Dean has taken the majority of those reps at inside linebacker lately. According to Pro Football Focus, Dean took 40 snaps at inside linebacker against the Lions, while Campbell took 17 and just three at outside linebacker. The rookie’s 20 defensive snaps (33.9%) were his fewest of the season.

    Over the last two weeks, Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean (right) has 10 tackles (including two for a loss) and two sacks (three quarterback hits total).

    But Dean has rounded quickly into prior form since his return from the physically unable-to-perform list with a knee injury in Week 6. In his last two games, Dean has posted 10 tackles (including two for a loss) and two sacks (three quarterback hits total). Fangio said he hasn’t been surprised by Dean’s immediate impact on the defense.

    “I know he worked really hard in his rehab,” Fangio said. “He was bugging those guys in the training room to come back earlier than they allowed him to. So from that regard, no. Nakobe’s got good instincts, good football acumen. Kind of a football, I don’t want say it comes easy, but it comes natural to him. So that speeds it up, too.”