The Other Birds: Who Flew Under the Radar in Week 2?
The Philadelphia Eagles escaped with a narrow victory on the road over the Tennessee Titans. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has rightfully received plenty of praise following Philadelphia’s comeback win, yet who else deserved credit? In my latest edition of The Other Birds, I’ll take a look at two players that flew under the radar in Week 2.
Hollywood Brown
The Eagles signed veteran wide receiver Hollywood Brown to a one-year deal worth up to $6.5 million early in free agency. Yet in Week 1, Brown didn’t play a single snap for the Eagles. While Brown appeared to be disappointed by his lack of usage, Eagles first-year offensive coordinator Sean Mannion tried to get him involved against the Tennessee Titans.
Brown played 17 total snaps on offense in Week 2. While his stats in the box score won’t blow anyone away, Brown played a unique role in Philadelphia’s offense. The 29-year-old used his speed as a decoy to open up passes in the intermediate part of the field. Brown was also given two rushing attempts on sweep plays, where he gained a total of 17 yards, yet one was called back due to a holding penalty.
The pre-snap wrinkle of utilizing Brown in motion and handing him the ball is enough to keep defenses honest moving forward. Mannion’s offense will be able to build off of that action moving forward, as the scheme continues to progress. In recent seasons, the Eagles sparingly used that motion and it rarely resulted in an actual handoff. If Brown can continue to keep defenses guessing, that’ll give Mannion another option to work with in his growing tool bag.
Jonathan Jones
Similar to Brown, Eagles cornerback Jonathan Jones is another veteran that signed with Philadelphia early on in free agency. The 33-year-old didn’t play any defensive snaps in Week 1 and was relegated to duty as a jammer on Philadelphia’s punt return unit. Jones was once again solid in that unheralded role, as Britain Covey averaged 15.5 yards per punt return against the Titans.
Late in the fourth quarter, Jones received his first two defensive snaps with the Eagles. The Titans were trying to pull-off some late game heroics. On the final play of the game at midfield, Titans quarterback Cam Ward dropped back for a Hail Mary attempt. Jones was sent on a blitz and registered a pressure, forcing Ward to step-up and throw an incompletion to end the game.
It was just another great example of a veteran player staying ready and willing to thrive in their role. Jones was likely hoping to make a bigger impact in Philadelphia, yet as the team’s starting cornerback trio has stayed healthy, the veteran hasn’t seen the field much. But that didn’t prevent him from making one of the sneakiest big plays of the game in a huge spot for the Eagles.