A.J. Brown vs. Eagles: How Patriots WR fared against former team over two joint practices

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Over the previous four seasons, the Eagles were A.J. Brown’s friend. Over the past two days, however, as Brown’s New England Patriots hosted Philadelphia for the first of two joint practices, they were his foe.

Brown squared off against his former team for the first time since the blockbuster trade that sent him to Foxborough in June. While this wasn’t a game setting, the veteran receiver certainly appeared to put some extra emphasis on the session.

Out of the gate on Day 1, Brown nearly sent the droves of fans watching from the practice-field stands in the shadow of Gillette Stadium into a frenzy. After the Patriots and Eagles finished their warmups and came together for 1-on-1s, Brown immediately lined up against former teammate and first-team All-Pro corner Quinyon Mitchell.

Brown got a step on Mitchell down the left sideline, and Drake Maye uncorked a perfectly placed ball into Brown’s breadbasket for what would’ve been a touchdown. The fans were ready to explode, but Brown could only get his left hand on the ball, and the pass fell incomplete.

“Q got away with a little holding,” Brown stated after Wednesday’s practice with a laugh. “I won, and he pulled himself back into the play, and I just have to finish the play. My right hand didn’t get to the ball quick enough. My left hand got on the ball, and that’s on me. Attention to detail, catching the ball high, not letting it get low. It’s those little things.

“It’s never about who I’m going against; it’s the little things. That could have been a 40-yard bomb, but now it’s a long foul ball, right? Those are the things I’m focusing on.”

Whether it was a Mitchell hold or a Brown drop, it was the star receiver’s lone blip on a thunderous first day.

A.J. Brown perfect in team drills on Day 1

The dropped touchdown against Mitchell during 1-on-1s was Brown’s lone rep in that period, but he was extremely active in team drills for the rest of Wednesday’s practice. By my count, he caught all seven of his targets on the afternoon, whether during 11-on-11s or 7-on-7s. 

Maye peppered Brown during the 7-on-7 period as the session began to ramp up. He caught all three of his targets during that portion of practice, including the final reception, when he beat Mitchell in coverage. After the catch, Brown spun the ball on the turf in celebration.

Things only escalated from there as Brown continued to dazzle when practice moved to 11-on-11s. After catching his first target, he made arguably the highlight play of the day. Lining up on the right side, Brown ran down the sideline as Maye, under pressure, lofted the ball up for him. 

The 6-foot-1, 226-pound receiver leaped into the air with Eagles corner Riq Woolen in coverage, turned his body back toward the line of scrimmage, and hauled in the pass while somehow keeping his feet in bounds. 

“[Maye] gave me a good ball,” Brown stated of the catch. “It was a quicker throw, and I just know I had to win at the line of scrimmage, and I was going against Tariq. I know he’s very fast, and I know he was coming, so I just had to hold my line of scrimmage and just keep going vertical and fade at the last second.”

On top of the highlight-reel plays, Brown seems fully immersed in the Patriots offense at this stage of the summer. He didn’t stay strapped to one side of the field and appears poised to be a big chess piece in Josh McDaniels’ formations. 

“I’m ready to go,” he stated when asked about his knowledge of the Patriots’ offense. “100%.”

Day 2 showed there’s still room for growth

For a minute, it looked like the second day of joint practice would go as smoothly as the first did for Brown. During 1-on-1s, Brown again faced former teammate Quinyon Mitchell, and once again, there was a bit of controversy over the play. Brown made a spinning one-handed touchdown reception, but was called out of bounds by the official. However, video taken of the play (along with a picture posted by New England’s official X account) shows he got both feet down in bounds.  

In 2-on-2s, Brown scored two more touchdowns (both also against Mitchell), including a strike over the middle from Maye. 

In team drills later on in the practice, Brown lined up on the left side of the formation when Maye let off a deep ball in his direction. The ball fell incomplete, but officials nullified the play due to pass interference. In the second 11-on-11 period, the two connected on their one target in that portion of practice on a comeback route on the right side. Brown showed off his strength during a red zone period with the ball around the 4-yard line, where he fought off his defender in the back of the end zone for a touchdown. 

It was after that series of strong play from both Brown and Maye, however, that the connection began to show signs of growing pains. 

In another set of team drills, Maye tried to target Brown but had pressure closing in and couldn’t get a strong enough throw off. Then, Maye threw back-to-back interceptions when targeting Brown during a couple of team drills. The first came with the ball on the 5-yard line. Maye rolled out to his right and tried to fit the ball into a tight window near the pylon for Brown. Eagles corner Riq Woolen was able to get in front of the pass and pick it off. 

“I was just late to the football, late in the red zone,” Maye stated of the turnover after Thursday’s practice. “You can’t be late in the red zone down there. It’s tight, and it’s a concept that we probably need to get some more work on and just find some timing. So, you just can’t be late down there.”

While that turnover was on Maye, the second can be placed more on Brown’s shoulders. In an 11-on-11 scrimmage at the end of practice, Brown couldn’t haul in a pass from Maye over the middle; the ball bounced in the air and was hauled in by outside linebacker Jalyx Hunt. 

The final target between the two for the day was during a two-point attempt, where Brown was able to catch the football, but was clearly out of bounds. So, what started off as a white-hot performance from Brown against the Eagles, did simmer a touch down the stretch, showing there is still plenty of room for improvement. 

Final totals

By my count, here’s how Brown’s totals shaped out over the two-day joint practice in team drills (11-on-11s or 7-on-7s):

• Day 1: 7 receptions on 7 targets
• Day 2: 2 receptions on 5 targets, TD, two INTs when targeted by Drake Maye

“It’s huge for a quarterback and receiver like himself, just to keep growing and keep –not just feeling like you are leveling them off and trying to keep getting better,” Maye stated Thursday of his ever-blossoming rapport with Brown. “So, he does a great job of talking to me, seeing what he sees, seeing what he is seeing in the DB, and just seeing what I see from my point of view. So, he is eager to learn and eager to share his opinion, and I think that is really important for a guy like him, and he will continue to make plays, and we got to find more ways to get him the football.”

Chummy with some former Eagles teammates

As much as Brown’s on-field showing will be the headline, it was just as interesting to watch him on the sideline, specifically how he interacted with his former teammates. Toward the tail end of Wednesday’s practice, as the two rosters came together on the sideline between the two practice fields, Brown chatted with former Eagles teammates as the special teams units went through drills.

The players I saw him conversing with included offensive tackle Jordan Mailata, center Cam Jurgens, and running back Saquon Barkley, among others. 

From my view in the media portion of the field, it seemed like a jovial reunion for the group.

A.J. Brown’s interactions with Jalen Hurts

During Wednesday’s session, it was hard not to notice Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts still on the other practice field, going through throwing reps at the same time Brown was talking to that contingent of ex-teammates. Then, after practice, Brown had told reporters that the two, who reportedly had a strained relationship toward the end of the receiver’s tenure in Philly, had not spoken since the blockbuster trade that sent him to New England. 

When pressed further about the topic, however, Brown stated, “None of that stuff even matters, ma. You all should want to report something positive. You know what asking the question is going to turn into, so let’s not get into that and let’s keep everything positive. There’s love my way, and just move forward.” 

Well, a day later, there is a positive development. 

After Thursday’s practice, Brown and Hurts reunited on the field, with the Patriots wideout running up to him and hugging him before having a chat. 

Judging by this interaction, it seems like the two Super Bowl champion teammates are choosing to let bygones be bygones as they each begin a new chapter in their careers.