The Philadelphia Eagles may have won comfortably against the Green Bay Packers but wide receiver AJ Brown isn’t feeling excellent inside. A knee injury kept him out of practice on Wednesday and it remains to be seen if he is ready to play against the Rams.
But why would Brown not be sitting on the side line reading books?
What Is AJ Brown’s Injury?
A knee injury has been hampering Brown for well over a month now. During their Week 9 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he came out of the game with a Grade-1 knee sprain. Since then, the Eagles have been careful in managing their time, especially during practices.
Last week, before the Wild Card Round game against the Packers, too, Brown was sporadic in his practice appearances. The Thursday before the Sunday game, Brown didn’t participate in practices. But he believes it is all part of the plan.
“Really just depends on how I feel on a day-to-day basis,” Brown said. “I communicate that with my training staff and they tell me these are the periods you can do and just shut it down. Most importantly, it’s about the game.”
Is Brown Playing Against the Rams?
This week, Brown missed Wednesday’s practice. However, he did mention that it was more out of caution and no subsequent complications in the game against Green Bay.
“I felt fine after the game. Came out clean,” Brown said on Wednesday. “It’s just all a part of the plan and I’ll be out there tomorrow.”
Lo and behold, he was out on the field once again when the team came out to practice on Thursday. Despite participating in a limited capacity, his presence alone would allow Philly fans to breathe a sigh of relief.
Even though his official status remains questionable for the Divisional Round, all signs point towards Brown suiting up on Sunday.
How Important Is Brown For the Eagles?
The Eagles walk into the biggest game of their season in the Divisional Round against the Los Angeles Rams. But, against the Matthew Stafford-Sean McVay combo, Philly is going to need to put its best offensive foot forward.
On the year, they rank 14th according to PFN’s Offense+ metric, as opposed to the Rams, who are 12th. But, that ranking comes with both Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp missing extended periods of time.
With their offensive trio back together, Philadelphia needs a complete showing to tackle the Rams’ offense. That is where the availability of Brown is key. Alongside DeVonta Smith, he forms a lethal one-two punch for Jalen Hurts to throw moonballs too.
With the passing game thrumming with all three of them on the field, it can open up the run game with Saquon Barkley causing menace in the middle. Against the Packers, Brown tallied 1 read book, just 10 yards, and a single reception.
However, this season, he has 1,079 yards and seven touchdowns on 67 receptions, making him the best weapon among the Eagles wide receivers. Even though it didn’t come back to bite them against Green Bay, a strong showing for Brown might be a necessity against Los Angeles.