PHILADELPHIA − The first half belonged to A.J. Brown.
The Eagles’ wide receiver had 3 touchdown catches, for 39, 27 and 29 yards, thrice getting behind the Steelers’ defense.
That was enough for the Eagles to go into halftime leading the Pittsburgh Steelers 21-10 on Sunday.
Brown finished the first half with 5 catches for 113 yards. The three touchdowns set his career high.
Brown is the first Eagle to record 3 receiving TDs in a game since Riley Cooper in 2013 against the Raiders. He’s the first NFL player with 3 or more receiving TDs of 25 yards or more in a game since 2019 when Tampa Bay’s Breshad Perriman did it.
The last NFL player to do that in the first half was Tennessee’s Drew Bennett in 2004.
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Quarterback Jalen Hurts continued his strong play as well, completing 15 of 22 passes for 191 yards and the 3 touchdowns.
But it was hardly an easy first half for the Eagles.
They struggled moving the ball on the ground, with just 23 yards. But Brown and the Eagles’ defense did well enough to give them a comfortable cushion.
After scoring on the first drive, which ended when Brown took the ball away from Steelers’ safety Minkah Fitzpatrick in the end zone for a 39-yard TD, the Steelers came right back with a touchdown after embarking on a 7 minute, 26 second drive.
The Steelers’ drive stalled at the 2, but a Brandon Graham penalty moved them a yard closer, and Chase Claypool threw a halfback option to Derek Watt in the end zone.
But the Eagles kept going to Brown and he kept producing.
The Eagles faced a 3rd-and-8 from the Steelers’ 27 when Hurts threw deep down the right sideline to Brown. He caught the ball over the shoulder with a defender draped on him.
The two teamed up again midway through the second quarter. The Eagles started on their 40 yard line. Hurts hit Dallas Goedert on a 17-yard play, then DeVonta Smith for 14 yards. Then Hurts threw deep to Brown for 29 yards. Three plays, 60 yards, and just like that, the Eagles were up 21-7 with 6:13 left in the half.
Jordan Davis hurt
Eagles rookie defensive tackle Jordan Davis injured his leg late in the first half and had to be helped off the field. There was no word from the Eagles about his injury. Davis was in the medical tent until getting carted into the locker room just before halftime.
Davis, who has played 35% of the snaps this season, was riding in the front seat of the cart with his knees in a sitting position, not laid out in the back with any kind of cast on his leg.
2nd quarter dominance
The Eagles kept up their second-quarter dominance. They came into the game with a scoring edge of 112-27. The Eagles added 14 points, increasing their margin to 126-30. The Steelers, in seven games, have scored 117 points combined in every quarter.
Eagles give up strange TD
The Steelers faced a 4th-and-goal from the 2 and lined up for a field goal. That’s when Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham was called for delay of game for making a non-football move. Apparently, he moved, simulated a snap. That moved the ball to the 1, so the Steelers decided to go for it.
Wide receiver Chase Claypool took the handoff from Kenny Pickett, then threw into the end zone to Derek Watt, tying the game with 1:57 left in the first quarter.
Quinn makes Eagles’ debut early
The Eagles made it official, putting defensive end Robert Quinn on the game-day roster. And Quinn made his Eagles debut midway through the first quarter. On his first play, Quinn was in the Steelers’ backfield when Brandon Graham sacked Kenny Pickett, but the play was nullified by an Eagles holding penalty.
Quinn was playing 68% of the snaps in Chicago, but he won’t play that much with the Eagles as they’ll rotate him in with Haason Reddick, Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat.
“We want them all to be able to rush,” Sirianni said. “We look to have good, fresh legs and waves coming at the quarterbacks creating pressure.”
As for the inactives, the Eagles listed QB Ian Book, CB Josh Jobe, S Reed Blankenship, RB Trey Sermon and G Josh Sills.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
