Eagles Tight End Not Letting Lack Of Targets With A.J. Brown Out Frustrate Him

Dallas Goedert said his production is dependent on what the coaches call, but why weren't there more targets for him in the loss to the Falcons with their top receiver out with a hamstring injury?

Sep 16, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert (88) is tackled by Atlanta Falcons linebacker Troy Andersen (44) and cornerback Mike Hughes (21) after a catch during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA – A.J. Brown was out on Monday night and could be out again on Sunday afternoon when the Eagles visit the undefeated New Orleans Saints (1 p.m.). It would stand to reason that Dallas Goedert would see more targets, right?

That wasn’t the case in the 22-21 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Maybe it will be the case against the Saints.

“The plays that were called, things that happened, you can’t control everything,” said the tight end, who has just nine targets in two games with seven catches for 69 yards. “You just have to go out there and do whatever the coaches call and do that to the best of your ability.”

Goedert didn’t seem very happy after Monday night’s loss. When the locker room doors opened to let reporters in, Dallas Goedert was already on his way out, showered and dressed.

“I was more frustrated with the loss than I was not having targets, not having receptions,” he said about his hasty exit. “It wasn’t much frustration. I was just ready to look at the film to see what happened.”

Last year, Goedert didn’t have catch in the opener, but had six for just 22 yards in Week 2 on his way to a 59-catch season for 592 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games.

Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert / Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

On Monday night, he had four targets and three catches for 38 yards. The one target he didn’t catch came on the fourth-and-four down throw inside the 10 during the first quarter when head coach Nick Sirianni decided to go for the first down rather than kick a chip shot field goal.

There appeared to be contact on the play, a push from behind by Mike Hughes. Maybe the Chiefs get that call, like they did late I the game to basically hand them a win over the Bengals last week, but the Eagles didn’t get it.

“I thought there was a little bit of contact, but that’s one of those things, you’re not going to get the call all the time,” he said. “You have to make the play.”

Goedert has said repeatedly in the past that he is happy with whatever targets and catches he gets as long as the team is winning. Well, it didn’t win on Monday, and Brown wasn’t there.

Without Brown, the Eagles had only one play over 20 yards - a 23-yard scramble run from Jalen Hurts.

“We’d love to get Dallas the ball,” said head coach Nick Sirianni. “Dallas has gotten the ball a lot. But different teams play things different ways. Either they junk up the idle, whether they give you things on the outside, but yeah, would we like Dallas to have the ball more? Absolutely, of course we would. But sometimes it’s not that simple.”

Sirianni said he can’t tell Hurts to throw him the ball, though the coach did say that they could make Goedert the top option on a play where he thinks the ball might go, but even then, there is no guarantee the pass would go his way.

“It’s all dependent on the game plan,” said Goedert, “how the defense is playing me and what plays get called. So, it’s one of those things and whatever play is called I’m going to try my best to get open or if we’re running the ball I’m going to try to spring Saquon (Barkley) or Kenny (Gainwell) or Will (Shipley) as best as I can.”

More NFL: Eagles Hope 2018 Doesn't Repeat In New Orleans, Though Numbers Not In Their Favor