Philadelphia Eagles' A.J. Brown Has Chance to Reassert Self in All-Pro Race vs. Dallas Cowboys

Philadelphia Eagles receiver A.J. Brown has an opportunity on a national stage to reignite what once felt like a special season.

After the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Dallas Cowboys 28-23 in early November, receiver A.J. Brown felt like a lock to be a First-Team All-Pro selection, and one of the leading candidates for Offensive Player of the Year. Heck, during the Week 10 bye, we even mentioned the possibility of him entering the wide-open NFL MVP race. 

But as the Eagles enter their second matchup with the Cowboys, there's much less certainty all around. After being throttled by the San Francisco 49ers a week ago, the Eagles will need to defeat the Cowboys a second time to hold onto the top spot in both the NFC East and NFC as a whole. And if Brown indeed fancies himself a First-Team All-Pro, it wouldn't hurt to out perform Dallas' CeeDee Lamb on the national stage. 

Philadelphia Eagles receiver A.J. Brown had a big game against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9.  / USA Today

Brown once seemed within striking distance of Miami Dolphins wideout Tyreek Hill, but that ship has sailed. Hill has a staggering 1,483 receiving yards, and barring injury, he's going to run away with Offensive Player of the Year. And if he becomes the first pass catcher to top 2,000 receiving yards in a season, it's possible he smashes the glass ceiling and becomes the first receiver to win MVP. 

Still, there are three First-Team All-Pro spots. Hill will occupy one of them, but two more are up for grabs. Browns knows this all too well. A year ago, he caught 88 passes for 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns during his first season with the Eagles. Despite the excellent production, Brown had to settle for a Second-Team All-Pro selection, with the First-Team spots going to Hill, Davante Adams of the Las Vegas Raiders and Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings. 

At the Week 10 bye, it seemed like fait accompli that Brown would be a First-Team All-Pro in 2023. If there were odds on it, he would probably still be a favorite, but it's hardly a lock. Brown had just one catch for eight yards in a Week 11 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football. He caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Jalen Hurts in an overtime win against the Buffalo Bills in Week 12, but finished the game with just five catches for 37 yards. In theory, he got back on track in Week 13, catching eight passes for 114 yards. But when you lose 42-19, it's hard to get too excited about a strong individual performance. 

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Brown will enter Week 14 fourth in the NFL in receiving yards at 1,164. He trails Hill (1,481), Lamb (1,182) and Kennan Allen of the Los Angeles Chargers (1,175). In terms of catches, Allen has 102 and Lamb has 90, as opposed to 81 from Brown. Ja'Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals and Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit Lions are each one monster performance away from being in the conversation for one of the two remaining First-Team All-Pro spots themselves. 

Obviously, there's nothing Brown can do about the production Lamb, or anyone else, is putting up. Lamb has a touchdown in four consecutive games, and feasted on a struggling Eagles defense in Week 10, catching 11 passes for 191 yards. There's a very real chance Lamb will go off again against the Eagles Sunday evening. 

For Brown -- who is aiming to become the first Eagles receiver to be a First-Team All-Pro since Hall of Famer Terrell Owens in 2004 -- all he can do is try to outdo whatever production Lamb puts up Sunday, and for the remainder of the season.