A.J. Brown Had Powerful Message For Eagles Teammates After First Loss Since September

For the first time since September, the Philadelphia Eagles were on the losing end of the scoreboard as the clock wound down to zero seconds. Even while dealing with drama amongst teammates or mustering close wins against the Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns, the Eagles were the hottest team in the NFL.

That changed Sunday, as the Eagles fell to the Washington Commanders 36-33. The Eagles were dealt a tough hand, as quarterback Jalen Hurts exited the game early because of a concussion.

Even so, the Eagles held a two-possession lead over the Commanders entering the fourth quarter. The Eagles had a double-digit lead for much of the game, and were never outmatched by Washington—Philadelphia simply allowed Washington to come back in the fourth quarter, including a 12 men on the field error during the Olamide Zaccheaus touchdown to DeVonta Smith dropping a critical pass.

Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown called the loss "self-inflicted" after the game, and was determined not to allow the defeat to affect his team's confidence.

"That was one of the things I said to the team," Brown said after the game. "Nobody in here better lose no confidence. You don't let hard times humble you. It's not even a hard time, this is something you can control."

AJ Brown said he spoke to the team after the game about not losing confidence. A lot of fixable mistakes today. pic.twitter.com/ZwPvOQenk3
— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) December 22, 2024

Though the Eagles lost, they clearly blew several chances at earning the win. They forced five turnovers, and it ultimately was multiple mistakes and the magic of Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels that cost them the victory.

The loss to the Commanders was reminiscent of the team’s first loss of the season, back in Week 2 against the Falcons, when Saquon Barkley dropped a pass that would have sealed a win. Philadelphia was able to bounce back from that loss, rattling of 10 straight wins following their bye week in Week 5.

While Brown is confident in his team’s ability to regroup, the loss does hurt the Eagles' chances at receiving the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Currently, both the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions are 13-2, and the winner of the NFC North appears likely to also take the top seed in the conference. The Eagles will likely finish with the No. 2 seed in the conference.