Commanders

Eagles

Eagles HC Nick Sirianni defended WR A.J. Brown, who had three catches for 25 yards and dismissed the heated discussion they had on the sidelines during the loss to the 49ers. Brown himself would not speak to reporters following the game.

“He’s got the best hands I’ve ever seen,” Sirianni said of Brown, via NFL.com. “The way he catches the ball, the amount of different types of catches that he’s made. When you get as many targets as he does, you’re going to have some drops. Not ever using an excuse, but the ball moves differently in the wind. I thought Jalen did a good job of cutting the wind a lot of times, but yeah, we had some uncharacteristic drops. I think the one that he had, we overcame it the very next play with Dallas. But yeah, I know he will beat himself up on that.”

“I was trying to get him off the field because we were about to punt and that was really it,” Sirianni added on the exchange. “I love A.J. I think he knows how I feel about him. I have a special relationship with him. We’ve probably [gone] through every emotion you can possibly have together. We’ve laughed together, we’ve cried together, we’ve yelled at each other. We’re both emotional. I was trying to get him off the field, and that happens in this game. That happens in this game, but I love him.”

Eagles

Eagles RB Saquon Barkley feels that not getting into the endzone in the second half of games due to their offense stalling out has been a constant theme this season.

“It’s been a common theme for us this year,” Barkley said, via Zach Berman of The Athletic. “We haven’t done a good enough job of playing complete football, putting two halves together. Sometimes, you get into this moment and (think) we’ll just figure this out. And it just caught up to us. It’s been the same thing all year.”

Eagles QB Jalen Hurts was frustrated and took blame for the offensive shortcomings after the loss, as did HC Nick Sirianni.

“I think winning is hard. Nothing about it is easy, especially when you’re trying to repeat,” Hurts said. “Everything was clear for us and what we wanted to accomplish this year, and we came up short, and so you have no choice but to learn from it, especially if you have a great passion about it. And that’s my approach. … I take ownership for not being able to put points on the board. It all starts with me and ends with me.”

“I just didn’t make the play,” Hurts continued. “I own it. I own it all. Obviously you want more; obviously, you work for more. But it’s an assessment of how we can improve in the end. Regardless of what it looks like, it’s about how you learn from it, how you respond from it. And so, it’s not on any individual, it’s on us as a unit, this team, this year, and we’ve got to improve from it.”

“Felt like that was kind of our story as the year progressed — good first half, didn’t do a good enough job coaching, didn’t do a good enough job executing in the second half, in that third quarter particularly,” Sirianni added. “Some penalties got us behind the sticks, and we had a hard time overcoming them.”

• Hurts when asked if he wants Kevin Patullo back as offensive coordinator: “It’s too soon to think about that.” (McManus)
• On wanting WR A.J. Brown back: “A.J. and I have talked. We’re in a good, great place. I know you all can talk to him and ask.” (McLane)
• Eagles S Andrew Mukuba said he would not have been back in time for the Super Bowl after fracturing his fibula and is hoping to be ready in time for spring workouts. (McLane)