Eagles news: More A.J. Brown drama; Al Michaels struggled at times during broadcast; updated injury report

A.J. Brown had a wry smile on his face inside the Eagles’ locker room at MetLife Stadium late Thursday when he answered four questions about the conversation he had with Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley with a version of: “I do not recall.”

It was Brown being Brown. He wouldn’t confirm or deny a meeting he had Monday with his quarterback and running back that a source told The Inquirer lasted about an hour a day after the Eagles’ offense sputtered and was shutout in the second of of a 21-17 loss to Denver.

Four days later, the offense again failed to score in the second half. The Eagles were scoreless over the final 36 minutes, 56 seconds of the game. The passing offense, which Brown wants to perform at a higher level, again showed flashes but faded.

The Eagles entered Thursday night with 37 missed tackles on the season, an average of 7.4 through their first five games.

They added 11 more during a 34-17 loss at MetLife Stadium.

Cooper DeJean and Drew Mukuba both were credited with two, according to Pro Football Focus. Seven other Eagles were credited with one apiece.

It looked like the Eagles were finally going to snap out of the spell, the one that cursed them through three-plus quarters Sunday, and the one that has turned the offense from Jekyll to Hyde in recent second halves.

Then Jalen Hurts missed a wide-open A.J. Brown in the middle of the field for an easy touchdown and instead threw an interception that Cor'Dale Flott returned 68 yards from his own 9-yard line to the Eagles’ 23-yard line. The field flipped, and the Giants scored three plays later to go back ahead by three scores, 34-17 — the game’s eventual final tally.

It was a 14-point swing, and it continued a troubling trend for the Eagles, who might just have the worst second-half offense in the NFL.

Moro Ojomo sat next to A.J. Brown on the back of a golf cart at the end of the night, ice wrappings covering his left arm and left knee. A ride to the team bus was the least he could be offered after Ojomo — with Jalen Carter out with a heel injury — was forced to play a career-high 62 snaps against an offense that surprisingly bullied the Eagles’ defense.

Carter’s absence was felt, and so were the absences of other injured Eagles.

Here are some notes and thoughts from Thursday night’s snap counts:

Lane Johnson doesn’t often say much, but when he talks, the Eagles listen. Or at least they should.

Johnson is the last remaining of the “Four Corp” — the long-time Eagles that bridged a first Super Bowl with the most prolific era in modern franchise history. When Brandon Graham followed Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox into retirement last offseason, the right tackle became the lone stalwart with enough clout to question the team.

The 13-year veteran has mostly ceded the spotlight to others this season. But after the Eagles were dealt their worst loss since 2023 — a 34-17 whipping Thursday night from the hapless New York Giants — Johnson made it clear he wasn’t pleased with the direction of the offense.

Earlier this week, Eagles stars Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, and Saquon Barkley met to discuss how the Birds move forward after a sluggish start by the offense.

Or did they?

Following Thursday night's loss to the Giants, Brown seemed to have no memory of the supposed meeting at all.

The Eagles (4-2) will get a few extra days off before hitting the road to face the Minnesota Vikings (3-2) in Week 7.

Former Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz could make his third start for the Vikings, subbing in for an injured J.J. McCarthy. Head coach Kevin O'Connell has not announced who will take the field to face the Birds, but Wentz has led the Vikings to two straight wins.

“We’ll pick it up officially next week,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said earlier this week about J.J. McCarthy's status, “but I’m encouraged about where he’s at right now.”

Play-by-play man Al Michaels is a legend. He’s been in the broadcasting game forever, and he’s had so many iconic calls.

But at what point can we tell the guy to hang it up? He doesn’t have anywhere near the same vision he once did. He also neglected to notice that Saquon Barkley was signed as a free agent, not traded to the Eagles.

“And then, the trade. The infamous deal. Off he went to Philadelphia, of all places.” Michaels said, before later recovering. “I said a trade; he signed as a free agent. The Giants only wish they’d gotten something for him.”