PHILADELPHIA — A.J. Brown is not actually into fiction. He is not fascinated by studying about issues that aren’t actual. He prefers discovering “peace” in his personal fact and his inside power, so his thoughts does not get too far off of his most well-liked path.
That is how he discovered himself sitting on the sidelines late within the Philadelphia Eagles‘ wild-card sport on Sunday afternoon, doing one thing that appeared fully uncommon to the remainder of the world when the act was caught on digicam. He wasn’t pouring over an iPad or going over performs with an assistant coach, and he wasn’t huddling with teammates preparing for the subsequent collection.
He was studying a guide known as “Interior Excellence” by a self-described “Efficiency Coach” and former baseball participant named Jim Murphy. It appeared odd, given the timing. It even appeared dangerous, contemplating that Brown had just one catch and was principally an afterthought within the sport plan.
Eagles’ A.J. Brown reads guide on sideline throughout win vs. Packers
However to him it was simply a part of his routine — turning to a guide he swears he reads throughout each single sport.
“It provides me a way of peace,” Brown mentioned after the Eagles beat the Green Bay Packers 22-10 at Lincoln Monetary Subject on Sunday to advance to the divisional playoff spherical subsequent weekend. “That is a guide I deliver each single sport. My teammates name it ‘a recipe.’
“That is simply the primary time you all bought me on digicam.”
The timing was good for the cameras to zoom in on him, truly, since this gave the impression to be the sort of sport the place a prime receiver like Brown would possibly find yourself going off the rails. He is actually let his frustrations boil over earlier than, both with the Eagles’ offense or typically along with his best-friend quarterback, Jalen Hurts. He hardly ever goes full-diva like another No. 1 receivers across the NFL. However when there’s stress, it isn’t normally simple for him to cover.
And this positive gave the impression to be a kind of occasions. He had only one catch for 10 yards within the sport, on a day when everybody within the locker room admitted to a frustration that their offense struggled. Brown is the sort of game-breaker that may shake an offense out of its doldrums. However he was the goal on solely three of Hurts’ 21 passes. And there have been fairly a number of occasions when he appeared vast open, but nonetheless did not get the ball.
However as an alternative of turning offended, he turned to an outdated buddy — a well-worn paperback copy of “Interior Excellence: Practice Your Thoughts for Extraordinary Efficiency and the Greatest Potential life” written by a life coach, of types, to stars {of professional} golf and different professional athletes throughout the sports activities spectrum. The guide was given to him by Eagles defensive deal with Moro Ojomo and it was clearly well-read by Brown already. When he confirmed it off after the sport, it was dog-eared, full with highlighted passages and underlined sections. Brown even had written his personal notes inside the quilt — factors he needed to all the time bear in mind throughout a sport.
A.J. Brown’s copy of “Interior Excellence” by Jim Murphy.
“It is bought numerous factors in there,” he mentioned. “It is loads (concerning the) psychological sport. There’s numerous psychological elements about it. As a result of for me the sport is psychological. And it is how I refresh each drive. No matter if I rating a landing or I drop a go, I all the time return to that guide each drive and refocus, re-lock again in.”
To be sincere, the entire Eagles workforce wanted some assist refocusing in a sport they most likely ought to have — and will have — received loads simpler than they did. Their offense, which was so highly effective throughout the common season — eighth-ranked general, second in speeding — by no means might discover a groove towards the Packers. Saquon Barkley, contemporary off his 2,005-yard season, had a number of large early runs and one very late, however was usually caught in impartial. And Hurts was erratic, struggling by means of an 0-for-7 stretch in the midst of the sport.
They received largely due to 4 Packers turnovers, together with three interceptions by Inexperienced Bay quarterback Jordan Love. However the Eagles know they cannot depend on that because the playoffs push onward over the subsequent few weeks. Hurts, who hadn’t performed in three weeks on account of a concussion (and the Eagles having little to play for) appeared rusty. Nothing about this Eagles workforce appeared significantly sharp.
And Brown, who mentioned he felt wholesome after struggling a knee damage in observe final week, was on the middle of that. He was their greatest receiver this season with 67 catches for 1,079 yards and 7 touchdowns regardless of lacking 4 video games. Everybody understands that for the Eagles to maintain advancing he needs to be greater than only a blocker and a decoy.
He must be concerned.
Brown swore he wasn’t annoyed by his lack of involvement. In actual fact, he sounded thrilled that even with out him — a minimum of so far as the stat sheet is worried — the Eagles nonetheless did sufficient to win. The protection shut the Packers down and bought these three interceptions. The particular groups compelled a fumble on the opening kickoff and Hurts turned that into a fast 11-yard landing go to Jahan Dotson on a play that appeared to take perpetually to develop.
And when the Eagles wanted a cushion within the third quarter, they bought one on a display go to tight finish Dallas Goedert, who stiff-armed his manner down the sector for a 24-yard landing, shoving off Packers cornerback Carrington Valentine 3 times alongside the best way. That, Brown marveled, was “aggressive, grown-man ball.”
It was additionally about the one signal of true Eagles soccer from the offense for your complete sport.
However as Brown has realized from studying his self-help guide, it isn’t about him, and it isn’t about what already occurred. It is about what might occur in case you liberate your thoughts from the burdens of what went mistaken.
“I all the time refer again to the start of the guide,” Brown mentioned. “It states that in case you can simply have a transparent thoughts and keep in mind that nothing else issues — a transparent consciousness, nothing issues detrimental or constructive — and in case you’re keen to take dangers … It additionally says in case you’re humble you’ll be able to’t be embarrassed. So it doesn’t matter what occurs in a sport I am simply going to remain free and play free, maintain going, take dangers.”
And he is proper. It is all proper there in Chapter 1.
“It is a daunting view, the dangerous path of our true goals,” Jacobs writes. “It is way more comfy to comply with the simpler, wider route of much less threat, much less failure and extra self-indulgence. We do not like to have a look at that unknown path of risk; it is too scary. It is simpler to offer in to that a part of the thoughts that desires prompt gratification and momentary pleasures, to cowl up the larger, scarier image of what we actually need, the sacred moments that come from feeling really alive.
“Within the pursuit of extraordinary efficiency, it is easy to succumb to nervousness and stress, as a result of a lot is out of your management. While you be taught to dwell a life that’s absolutely engaged, nevertheless, then you’ll be able to carry out your greatest and dwell a life and love the problem.”
The problem on this case is apparent. The Eagles are attempting to get again to the Tremendous Bowl for the second time in three years, and to win it for the primary time in seven years. Within the short-term, they’re trying to win another sport and advance to a different NFC Championship Recreation. And to do any of that, they may want a “absolutely engaged” Brown to get there, and they’re going to should be “absolutely engaged” with him, too.
So all of them must be taught from what occurred on Sunday, soak up it and transfer on with no regrets. Brown mentioned he realized that “This workforce is bodily. This workforce goes to attempt to discover a technique to win whatever the hiccups. We’re simply going to attempt to discover a technique to win.
“There’s nothing new there. It did not shock me.”
No, the shock was solely on the surface at how the Eagles survived a comparatively poor efficiency on offense. And there was certainly loads of shock that, simply because the world was anticipating Brown to sulk, he was studying a guide he swore he has carried with him a number of occasions as he is run onto the sector throughout pregame this season. And whereas the cameras might have missed it throughout all 17 video games over the common season, he insisted he reads the guide after each drive.
And if that is what he must focus, it is higher than throwing a helmet or yelling at a teammate or simply sitting and stewing within the silence of his personal frustrations, questioning why he isn’t concerned. The teachings of the guide have to be sinking in too, since he swore frustration wasn’t on his thoughts.
“No, I used to be not annoyed in any respect,” Brown mentioned. “I figured that is what you all most likely thought. However I wasn’t annoyed. Why do you all the time suppose I would be annoyed?
“I prefer to learn.”
Ralph Vacchiano is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports activities. He spent the earlier six years masking the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and earlier than that, 16 years masking the Giants and the NFL for the New York Each day Information. Observe him on Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.
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