Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III is not happy with the Philadelphia Eagles’ play-calling. Griffin took to social media on Sunday night, Jan. 12, to rip the Eagles for failing to call more plays to get the ball in wide receiver A.J. Brown’s hands.
Brown finished the Wild Card playoff game on Sunday, Jan. 12, against the Green Bay Packers with one reception for 10 yards.
Robert Griffin III Calls Out Eagles’ Boss
Griffin tore into the Eagles for game-planning around running back Saquon Barkley and neglecting the passing game. Griffin likes the Eagles’ quarterback-receiver tandem of Jalen Hurts and Brown and cannot understand why Brown was so underutilized against the Packers.
“The Eagles have to find their passing game to win it all,” Griffin said in a post. “NO WAY IN HELL A.J. Brown should ever finish a game with 1 catch for 10 yards. A.J. Brown is a team player and I’m more than sure he is happy with the win because he is team first.
“If the Eagles want to win it all, A.J. Brown has to be more of a focal point in their passing game,” Griffin said. “1 catch for 10 yards in a game? He should have that PER DRIVE.”
Eagles have the defense to win it all.
Eagles have the running game to win it all.
Eagles have the OL/DL to win it all.
Eagles have the QB to win it all.
Eagles have the WRs/TE to win it all.
The Eagles have to find their passing game to win it all.NO WAY IN HELL A.J. Brown…
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) January 13, 2025
Brown was only targeted three times during the entire game. Further, Hurts threw for only 131 yards, with some arguing he hung around the pocket too long and took too many sacks (two).
Hurts had a grade of 69 (D+) against Green Bay in the Wild Card Round, the third-lowest grade in a win in the NFL playoffs since at least 2019, as far back as PFN’s QB+ metric data dates.
The lack of targets would normally upset a star receiver. However, Brown said after the game he wasn’t concerned about his amount of touches. He was only concerned with the fact that the Eagles won the game.
“I wasn’t frustrated at all. Why do ya’ll always think I’m frustrated?” 😂 A.J. Brown
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) January 13, 2025
The whole passing game struggled. The only wide receiver having a decent game was DeVonta Smith who had four receptions for 55 yards.
Brown appeared bored during the game. Television cameras showed Brown reading a book, on the sidelines, when he was not in the game. He was reading a self-help book entitled “Inner Excellence.” However, Brown later disputed this, claiming he reads it during every game as a form of preparation and meditation.
Barkley was clearly the featured weapon of choice for Sirianni and the Eagles. The former New York Giants star had 25 carries for 119 yards and was constantly getting fed the football.
Before the game, this was the latest report on the Eagles’ offense pursuant to PFN’s Offense Rankings:
“Will the Eagles peak at the perfect time this year?
“The highlight machine that is Barkley has opened up offensive versatility that simply didn’t exist last season. The ninth 2,000-yard rusher in NFL history led the top-ranked offense by EPA per rush (0.08) excluding Week 18 (when the Eagles benched nearly all their starters).
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“The Eagles can produce against anyone, but if the offensive line remains a liability when it comes to pass blocking, Philly could be in a precarious spot if it falls behind in a playoff game.
“The Eagles are the worst team at preventing pressure when not blitzed, a flaw that could undo all the good it’s capable of doing. That said, with playmakers at every level, counting this offense out isn’t a wise move as long as Jalen Hurts recovers from his concussion before the Wild Card Round.”
Griffin also praised the Eagles’ defense, which he said was good enough to win the Super Bowl. PFN’s Defense+ metric shows the Eagles’ defense as being very strong, the second-ranked (88.2, B+) unit in the league during the 2024 regular season.
“The Eagles narrowed the gap between themselves and the Broncos over the last month but ultimately have to settle for a second-place finish. Still, the Eagles can enter the postseason feeling good after a dominant three-month finish following a shaky September.
“Our metrics weigh pass defense more heavily than run defense, and the Eagles finished with the highest defensive pass success rate of any team this season (60.4%).
“As a result, the Eagles allowed the fewest yards per play for any defense this season (4.7). Effective and disciplined rushing attacks can theoretically control the clock with successful runs against Philadelphia, who “only” rank ninth in rushing success rate. But that’s a thin needle to thread, as any defense that can tamp down explosive plays will be tough to score on.
“There isn’t a single statistical flaw in Philadelphia’s defense, which ranks top 10 in every metric that encompasses the Defense+ grades (except for sack rate, where they’re 15th). That makes them an incredibly dangerous threat to win the NFC, even without the top seed.”