Nick Sirianni Makes Feelings Known on AJ Brown After Eagles WR’s Struggles Against Cowboys

Earlier this summer, AJ Brown called himself “the best in the league.” But when the Eagles met the Cowboys in the 2025 season opener on Thursday Night, the frustration was visible among Philly fans and fantasy sports players who drafted him. The reasoning was simple: Jalen Hurts did not target Brown until there was just 1:45 remaining in the game.

The QB connected with the wideout on a second-and-11. Brown caught the pass and slid down in bounds, forcing Dallas to use one of their last timeouts. That was it. Brown wrapped up his Week 1 with just one reception. Which naturally makes you wonder: Why wouldn’t Hurts look more to a guy who’s rattled off three straight 1,000-yard seasons? Nick Sirianni has the answer.

“They (Cowboys’ defense) did a good job of matching some of our routes. They did a good job of matching some things and taking away A.J.,” Sirianni said after the game. Translation? The Cowboys’ defense under Matt Eberflus was elite when it came to holding the Eagles’ passing and run game. And we’re not just talking about Brown’s struggles.

Not only did their defense hold Brown to just one catch for 8 yards, but they also limited DeVonta Smith to just three catches for 16 yards, and Saquon Barkley to just 3.3 yards per carry and 60 rushing yards total. The result? Well, according to the Eagles’ head coach, “We had some different things to him that Jalen [Hurts] had to get through some progressions, and I think Jalen did a really nice job getting through his progressions tonight and then made some plays with his legs as well.”

The numbers tell the rest of the story. The Cowboys finished the night with 188 receiving yards, while the Eagles could only scrape together 144. To put it in context—Dallas’ go-to guy? CeeDee Lamb, who still put up 110 yards on 7 catches, even with a couple of late drops in the fourth. Meanwhile, for Philly, it wasn’t A.J. Brown. It wasn’t DeVonta Smith either. Nope.

Their leading receiver was Jahan Dotson, who led the pack with just 3 grabs for 59 yards. No doubt Jalen Hurts had to get through some progressions. The reigning Super Bowl MVP rushed for 62 yards on 14 carries (19/23 for 152 yards as well) and racked up a couple of touchdowns, leading the Eagles to a decisive 24-20 win over his division rivals in a 65-minute interrupted game.

What does a single catch mean for AJ Brown?

There’s no denying that AJ Brown had a brutal opening night of the 2025 season. The wideout had previously recorded 1,496, 1,456, and 1,079 yards in his first three years with the Eagles. Huge expectations from him were palpable. But the expectations were washed away on Thursday Night’s showdown. “THIS IS CRAZY THAT #AJBROWN has NO CATCHES!!” Former Eagle Terrell Owens shared on ‘X’. “Com’on OC!!!”

However, when Nick Sirianni was asked about Brown’s bare-minimum presence against the Cowboys, the head coach cleared his thoughts on the wideout’s role. “When we talk about those roles, I tell those guys there’s going to be games like this is going to happen, but to be what we want to be. A.J.’s obviously going to have to be involved more in the offense, but some games go this way,” he said. Hurts didn’t target the 28-year-old wideout on his first 22 passes.

Instead, it was Dallas Goedert (7 catches for 44 yards), Saquon Barkley (4 for 24), and DeVonta Smith carrying most of the load in the passing game. When asked if it was tough trying to balance wanting to be the league’s best receiver while finishing with just one grab in the opener, Brown kept it short, “That’s something I can’t control.” Bottom line—his quiet night definitely raised some eyebrows. But it’s only Week 1. As Sirianni believes, Brown’s going to be a bigger part of this offense as the season rolls on.