Pass Defense Calls Problematic, Perplexing

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown's big day included two penalties that left Mike Vrabel wondering what to say or do.

George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA Today Network

NASHVILLE – A.J. Brown steamrolled his old teammates in more ways than one during the Philadelphia Eagles’ 35-10 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

Brown literally ran over cornerback Kristian Fulton on the way to his first touchdown reception, one that put the Eagles ahead 14-7 early in the second quarter.

On second-and-15 from the Tennessee 40, Brown ran a double move, looking initially like he was headed for the left sideline before cutting upfield. Fulton attempted to change course in coverage but was knocked to the ground by Brown. That left the wide receiver wide open for the easy touchdown reception.

A.J. BROWN. 41-yard TD against his former team! @1kalwaysopen_

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Officials flagged Fulton for illegal contact, a call that appeared … debatable.

What exactly is Fulton supposed to do, after all, when it appeared Brown initiated heavy contact on the play?

“I have to look at the tape but my guess is it was a double move,” Titans coach Mike Vrabel said. “Kristian had right to the space.

“Again, this (officiating) crew is from all over. They just put this crew together today so I don’t know. I just know that I hear what they tell me sometimes about, ‘Yeah, the (defensive back) has right to that space.’ Did he take a charge? I don’t know. Again, is he coming in from the side or do we have that space and then we are entitled to the space? I couldn’t tell and didn’t see enough from the replay.”

What made the moment even more frustrating for the Titans was that Fulton, the team’s top cornerback, sustained a groin injury on the play and didn’t return to the game.

“It’s over with,” Vrabel said. “What did they call it, illegal contact? … Whatever.”

That penalty wasn’t the only critical flag Brown induced against the Titans.

Two Philadelphia possessions later, Jalen Hurts fired deep down the left sideline for Brown from the Titans’ 30-yard line. Rookie cornerback Tre Avery never turned his head around while in coverage, and when the pass was slightly underthrown, officials threw the flag and called pass interference.

That gave the Eagles a first down at Tennessee's 6-yard line, and they scored to go ahead 21-10 two plays later.

It was the just fourth pass interference call against the Titans' defense this season, the first since Week 5 at Washington. Similarly, that unit had not been flagged for illegal contact, Fulton's violation, in the previous three games.

“Yeah, you get a lot more leeway when you are playing the football, when you are looking back,” Vrabel said of that flag on. “Again, when you are not playing the football, we’ve known for a lot of years that any contact is really going to be exaggerated, which it should be. So we have to play the football.

"We have to be able to be in place and turn around and try to play the football and then they are going to give you probably a little bit more leeway.”