Loss of Brown has real impact on Eagles offense, Cowboys chances

· Yahoo Sports

When the Dallas Cowboys have played the Eagles over the years, they’ve made sure one base was always covered and that base was star receiver A.J. Brown. Brown, 6-foot-1, 226-pounds of muscle and scowl, was priority No. 1 for the Cowboys defense. He was a big-play threat down the sideline and as a ball carrier after the catch. Regardless of who was coordinator for Dallas, it was Brown who was always circled in the gameplan.

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When news broke this week Brown was leaving the City of Brotherly Love for the City of Clam Chowder, Cowboys Nation should have been in full celebration. That's because no longer must the Cowboys tilt coverages his way. No longer must they worry about him with the ball in his hands. No longer must the Dallas defense gift easy receptions to other receivers just because they are transfixed on stopping Brown. And it’s really there where the impact of Brown made the difference.

The Cowboys have made it a habit of rolling coverage Brown’s way over the years. Heavy zone coverages with safeties over the top have largely held the receiver at bay. In his eight games against Dallas, he averaged 74.1 yards/game and half a touchdown. These numbers aren’t great, but they’re certainly not as bad as they could be given Brown’s ability.

By focusing so much on Brown over the years, the Dallas defense has gift-wrapped easy completions to other downfield options. DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert and other secondary targets have had their way in the middle of the field. It stands to reason new Eagles slot receiver Makai Lemon would also feast inside with Brown commanding attention. Luckily, that’s not something the Cowboys secondary has to worry about anymore.

With all the trouble the Cowboys secondary has had in recent days, they need all the breaks they can get. And make no mistake: getting Brown off the Eagles is a nice break for the Cowboys.

Dallas will still probably throw large doses of zone coverage Philadelphia’s way this season. Zone is a Christian Parker staple and Jalen Hurts is traditionally poor against it. It’s also important to point out the Eagles aren’t suddenly devoid of weapons. Smith and Lemon can be explosive jitterbugs in space, so they can’t be taken for granted. But with Brown gone, the Cowboys can match-up more honestly and that’s a very good thing for 2026.

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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Loss of Brown has real impact on Eagles offense, Cowboys chances

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