What’s the Eagles’ plan without A.J. Brown in playoff game?
Eagles wide receiver Quez Watkins received a text message from Jalen Hurts last Thursday.
âWhen that phone rings, be ready to answer,â Hurts texted.
Watkins responded, âSâ, Iâve been ready.â
And then in Week 18, without DeVonta Smith in the lineup, Watkins had his best game of the season. He caught 8 passes for 93 yards and a touchdown. Although the Eagles lost in embarrassing fashion to the Giants, Watkins said his performance gave him a big boost of confidence.
Maybe thatâs one small positive from that game last week. Because the Eagles are likely going to need Watkins again in the wild card round.
While Smith is going to play on Monday night, A.J. Brown (knee) was officially ruled out for the playoff opener. And itâs going to take several Eagles on offense to replace the production the production theyâre losing without their Pro Bowl receiver on the field.
âI think that’s been a big-time strength â or one of our big strengths as a team â is the pass catchers we have,â head coach Nick Sirianni said. âAnd when you look at it, you think about A.J., you think about Dallas, you think about [WR] DeVonta (Smith). And then you think about DâAndre (Swift) and the role that he has, as well. And Iâm not even mentioning Julio (Jones) and those guys, and Quez (Watkins) and OZ (Olamide Zaccheaus), who’ve made plays throughout the year, as well, so excited for those guys to get a little bit more opportunity.
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âObviously, you always miss the contributions that A.J. makes. He’s a phenomenal player, but really excited about the opportunity. And I know weâve got â one reason we’re in this game and in this position is because of the pass catchers we have, in addition to A.J. Brown.â
The Eagles will certainly still rely on Smith and Dallas Goedert in this game. That has always been the plan in the passing offense, which has unapologetically been run through Brown, Smith and Goedert all season.
But at least one other receiver will likely need to play a bigger role. It could be Watkins, who has had a disappointing season again. It could be Jones, who is a future Hall of Famer beyond his prime. Or it could be Zaccheaus, who made his biggest play on a touchdown catch in Week 3 in Tampa Bay.
âMy role is my role,â said Jones, who is the NFLâs active leader in receiving yards. âWhatever it is, I get ready to play every week. I donât get up for a week or down for a week. Itâs the same every week. They do a great job here. We have a great practice schedule. I just go out, whatever reps it is, they take care of us throughout the week to have us ready for the game.â
When the Eagles signed Jones in mid-October, they were 5-1 and went on to win their next five games to post a 10-1 record going into December. Then the wheels came off. The Eagles lost five of six games heading into the playoffs and tumbled to the No. 5 seed.
Jones, 34, said heâs never been a big talker. But he has tried to be a veteran leader by example since joining the team.
âDonât crack, donât break, just stay together,â Jones said. âThatâs what weâve got to continue to do. To win games, youâve got to do it together. No individual can win a game. These are the times where we have to come together and be closer and stay with each other. These are times where we canât crack. We just have to go out and play our style of football and play together.â
Monday will be Brownâs first missed game since joining the Eagles for the 2022 season. Heâs been incredibly durable as an Eagle and has been a back-to-back Pro Bowler with back-to-back seasons with well over 1,400 yards.
And in 16 of 17 games this season, both Brown and Smith started together.
Meanwhile, the Eagles havenât had a consistent No. 3 receiver all season. There have been games where all three of them have been in that role behind Brown and Smith. Take a look at their numbers from 2023:
Zaccheaus: 17 games, 1 start, 20 targets, 10 catches, 164 yards, 2 TDs
Watkins: 9 games, 5 starts, 21 targets, 15 catches, 142 yards, 1 TD
Jones: 11 games, 4 starts, 19 targets, 11 catches, 74 yards, 3 TDs
âWe have confidence in our group,â Zaccheaus said.
Last week, when Watkins caught a touchdown in the fourth quarter of a blowout loss, his touchdown celebration was making a âkeep talkingâ gesture with his hand.
Watkins was asked about that on Saturday.Â
âSelf explanatory, man,â Watkins said. âI just go out here and play ball. I donât care what nobody else says. I hear it but at the end of the day, I go and play ball.â
Watkins says he doesnât care about what people say but he does hear it and he uses it too. In his fourth season, Monday night could be Watkinsâ final game as an Eagle, as his contract is about to run out.
Heâll at least have a chance again to prove himself.
âIâve always got a chip on my back,â Watkins said. âI always feel like I was counted out in a sense. Just go hoop. Thatâs all I can do.â
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