Out-of-conference matchups usually receive some of the least buzz out of the games on a team’s schedule as they have the least impact when it comes to tiebreakers. Those teams don’t face off regularly, so there aren’t many built-in rivalries either other than location. But, Week 13 featured an AFC vs. NFC matchup that had plenty of juice added to it. The Tennessee Titans traveled to take on the Philadelphia Eagles in a game that meant a lot to wide receiver AJ Brown.
Brown was selected by the Titans in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. The Ole Miss product was seeking a lucrative extension this offseason, but he and the Titans weren’t able to get close on a price.
As a result, he was traded during the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft to the Eagles. In addition to the draft capital that was surrendered, the Eagles signed Brown to a four-year, $100 million extension to be the new No. 1 receiver for Jalen Hurts.
So far so good in the City of Brotherly Love as Brown has been everything the Eagles had hoped he would be and more. He makes up one of the more dynamic wide receiver pairings in the NFL along with DeVonta Smith, providing Hurts with excellent weapons that have enabled him to take his performance to another level.
Just how good has Brown been this season? During the telecast on Fox, his statistics thus far this season were compared to what the wide receivers on the Titans have produced. It is easy to say that Tennessee is certainly missing their former No. 1 receiver as Brown is nearly outproducing six Titans’ players by himself.
In time the Titans are hoping that rookie Treylon Burks, who was selected with the pick acquired from the Eagles, can develop into what Brown was as his pre-draft player comp was actually Brown. Burks did have an impressive touchdown catch on Sunday against the Eagles, holding onto a ball that he suffered a head injury on.
Even if he had remained in the game, it would have been tough keeping up with AJ Brown, who was dominant the entire afternoon. He finished the game with eight receptions for 119 yards and two touchdowns as Tennessee had no answers for him defensively.
