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The Philadelphia Eagles had question marks surrounding wide receivers AJ Brown and Devonta Smith early Friday morning. Smith and Brown were both injured throughout practice this week. Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reported that wide receiver A.J. Brown (hamstring) is questionable for Sunday vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while wide receiver DeVonta Smith (concussion) is out.
The former Alabama wide receiver suffered a concussion during Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints. Meanwhile, Brown suffered a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the last two games. In his first game, Brown had five receptions for 119 yards and one touchdown during their matchup against the Green Bay Packers in Brazil.
Smith has been steady all season thus far. He has 21 receptions for 239 yards and one touchdown. In all three games, he's had seven receptions. The production from the top two wideouts has been impressive, considering that Brown has missed two games. With Brown possibly set to return, it gives quarterback Jalen Hurts one of his primary weapons back.
Will the Eagles' passing game succeed without AJ Brown or Devonta Smith?
The Eagles' passing attack has spread out since offensive coordinator Kellen Moore took over. He's implemented more screen passes, tight-end formations, and utilizing the middle of the field. Also, having running back Saquon Barkley opens up so much for Moore's offense. Furthermore, Barkley is one of the top pass-catchers for his position, making the ball spread more easily.
Through three weeks, Philadelphia has the seventh-most passing yards per game (772). That statistic is without Brown, who has nearly 15% of the total passing yards. Hurts's top vertical and deep threat could make his second start of the season. If that's the case, the offense can look explosive like it did in Week 1.
The Eagles will play another NFC South opponent, the Buccaneers in Week 4. If Brown comes back, the Eagles offense could be back to how balanced they were in the opening game.
