With just 151 receiving yards through four games, A.J. Brown has practically demanded more targets come his way. The Philadelphia Eagles seemed to make that a priority in Week 5, with Jalen Hurts funneling the ball in his direction early despite a difficult matchup against the Denver Broncos' secondary.

Brown entered Week 5 after surpassing 30 receiving yards in just one of his first four games. He seemed to be in for another rough night against reigning Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II, but Brown instead hauled in four first-half catches, already double his total in Week 4.

Brown already has four catches for 35 receiving yards through the Eagles' first four drives. That makes his first half of Week 5 his second-best game of the season.

Brown went off for 109 receiving yards in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams, but he has otherwise been quiet to start the 2025 season. He managed just eight receiving yards in Week 1, 27 yards in Week 2 and seven yards in Week 4.

Eagles open up playbook in first half against Broncos

Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni on the sidelines in the first half. The Philadelphia Eagles came to MetLife Stadium to play the NY Jets in the final preseason season game.
Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Brown's blatant complaints about the team turned heads, but many other analysts have also criticized the Eagles' offense. Philadelphia has gotten off to a 4-0 start, but it has relied on its defense and a touch of special teams luck to get there.

Brown's frustrations were also echoed by DeVonta Smith, who seemed to be equally as upset with his lack of opportunities. The complaints appeared to be directed more towards Philadelphia's play-calling than any knock on Jalen Hurts' play.

The Eagles appeared to hear the criticisms and responded by opening up the playbook early against the Broncos. Hurts not only found Brown, but he also hit Smith on a pair of deep passes to get off to a quick start.

While Philadelphia's offense looked better in Week 5, the first half was still a defensive battle. The teams combined for eight punts between their 12 total drives before halftime. The Eagles prevented the Broncos from reaching the end zone through the first 30 minutes to take a 10-3 lead into the break.