Seeing Double In Cincinnati: Brown Twins Doing Something For First Time Since 2006

Philadelphia Eagles safety Sydney Brown and Cincinnati Bengals RB Chase Brown will line up against each other, making them the first twins to play offense and defense against each other since another set of twins did it 18 years ago.

Dec 31, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles safety Sydney Brown (21) before action against the Arizona Cardinals at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA - Brother acts aren’t hard to find in the NFL. There have been more than you would think.

Look no further than all the hype between the Super Bowl LVII matchup between Eagle center Jason Kelce and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Both play offense, so while their teams matched up against each other, the brothers Kelce technically did not.

In Week 4, twins Tristin McCollum and Zyon McCollum shared a field when the Eagles and Tristin visited Tampa and Zyon. Both twins play safety so, again, they did not technically play against each other.

There will be a totally different kind of brotherly matchup in Cincinnati on Sunday. This will be between twin brothers, Eagles safety Sydney Brown, and Bengals running back Chase Brown. That’s offense against defense. Twin vs. twin.

It is believed to be the first game between twin brothers where one played offense, the other defense, since Week 8 in 2006 when the Barber brothers did – Giants running back Tiki and Bucs cornerback Ronde.

Cincinnati Bengals halfback Chase Brown (30) runs back to the sideline after a punt in the second quarter of the NFL Week 5 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. The Bengals led 17-14 at halftime. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In the twins’ game within the game, Ronde got the better of his brother. Tiki ran 26 times for 68 yards for a meager 2.6 yards per carry and added three catches for 20 yards. Ronde made 10 tackles. But Tiki and the Giants walked away with a 17-3 win.

How much of a defensive role Sydney plays remains to be seen. He played his first game last week since completing rehab from a torn ACL last January. Brown played just nine defensive snaps, coming after the 28-3 blowout over the Giants was secured, and 26 special team snaps.

“Any time you say, ‘Get a role,’ that means somebody comes out,” said defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. “He still needs to practice more, play a little bit more meaningful snaps in practice. He's not totally honed up on what to do, but he's done a great job of paying attention in meetings and being engaged all through his rehab. I do think, whenever he does get a chance to play, it’ll be a quick transition as far as mentally goes.”

Anyone who thinks Brown will back off when it comes time to deliver a blow and tackle his twin should the moment present itself never watched some of the practices when they played together at the University of Illinois.

“We used to go at it all the time, but it got to the point they wouldn’t let us practice against each other – which kind of speaks for itself,” said Sydney. “That’s the competitive nature we have with each other and the kind of relationship we have with one another. That’s pushed us to where we are now. Having that competitive edge and trying to outdo the other twin. That’s been our relationship growing up.”

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