Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver AJ Brown had a huge game against the Washington Commanders on Sunday, but he cost his team late with some poor judgment.
Brown helped put the Eagles up 31-24 with 1:43 remaining when he hauled in a 28-yard touchdown from Jalen Hurts. The star wide receiver was then called for a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after he placed the ball between Emmanuel Forbes Jr.’s legs while the Commanders defensive back was on the ground.
HURTS TO BROWN. Eagles break the tie with 1:43 left!
📺: #WASvsPHI on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/Jq9JHUeqb6 pic.twitter.com/ROgsKdB2bZ— NFL (@NFL) October 1, 2023
The penalty was enforced on the ensuing kickoff. Philadelphia had to kick from their own 20-yard line rather than their 35. That allowed Antonio Gibson to have a return, and he took the ball out to the 36-yard line.
In an era where touchbacks are extremely common, Brown essentially handed Washington 11 free yards. That may not sound like much, but the Commanders needed to score a touchdown with 1:36 left in the game and only one timeout remaining. They were able to drive the length of the field, with Sam Howell hitting Jahan Dotson in the end zone as time expired. Washington kicked the extra point to send the game to OT.
If the Commanders started with worse field position, it is possible they would not have had enough time to tie the game. Fortunately for Brown, the Eagles still managed a 34-31 win in overtime.
Brown finished with 9 catches for 175 yards and 2 touchdowns, so we doubt any of his coaches or teammates will be upset with him.
