PHILADELPHIA — Nick Sirianni understood that a major talking point after the Eagles’ season-opening win over the Cowboys would be A.J. Brown’s quiet night. Brown, who called himself the best wide receiver in the NFL this summer, was targeted only once on Thursday.
But Sirianni, when asked about Brown, wanted to talk about a different Eagles wide receiver — a former Penn State star and Pa. native who is carving out a role in Philly’s offense.
“I think some of the proper questions that no one’s asked me is, ‘Man, how about Jahan Dotson making some huge plays today?’ the Eagles’ coach said postgame. “Again, I know the story will be A.J. only got one target until the fourth quarter. But how about Jahan Dotson?”
How about Jahan Dotson.
On a night where Brown and DeVonta Smith were held to a combined four catches, the former Nittany Lion was immense for the Eagles. Dotson led the team with 59 receiving yards, 51 of which came on a deep shot that went a long way in securing a 24-20 win.
Dotson entered his second season in Philadelphia with more confidence, and it showed. The 2021 first-round pick by the Washington Commanders was traded to the Eagles last August, days before the start of the 2024 season. It took the Nazareth native time to settle in, learn the offense and, most importantly, establish a rapport with Jalen Hurts.
That budding relationship was on full display with Dotson’s big play that brought the fans at Lincoln Financial Field to their feet. It was a moment that was over a year in the making.
“You know, 365 days ago, Week 1 of last year, that ball is probably not going up,” Dotson said. “Because we didn’t have that trust. But it’s those built up reps over and over and over again. He’s seen me make plays, so he has the trust in me to go make a play for the team.”
Statistically, Dotson had a slow start to his Eagles tenure. Before a meaningless Week 18 game against the Giants, the former Penn State star had only 12 catches for 122 yards in 2024. But there were signs better things were coming for the former Penn State star.
Dotson and Hurts’ growing chemistry was evident throughout training camp. He looked more comfortable. He was targeted more in practice. Hurts started to trust Dotson during the Super Bowl run. He had a touchdown against the Packers in the Wild Card round before making a 27-yard snag on Philadelphia’s second drive against the Chiefs. That trust has carried over.
Dotson said the Eagles had “the perfect play call” and Hurts threw a “perfect” pass on the 51-yard connection that set up a touchdown. But if you look closer at the play, Hurts uncorked the deep ball before Dotson even breaks on his route away from Dallas cornerback Kaiir Elam.
Hurts deserves credit for his anticipation. But Dotson deserves credit, too. Hurts trusted that Dotson would be where he needed to be to run underneath the pass, and he was.
Now, does Thursday night mean Dotson is going to have game-changing play every week? Not necessarily. Probably not. Brown and Smith are still the top targets in the passing game, and the Eagles are still built around star running back Saquon Barkley. Dotson knows his targets will be somewhat limited. Sirianni has told him that, point blank.
“I’m ready for whatever,” Dotson said. “My job is to win my one-on-ones, be the best teammate and version of myself out there, and if the ball comes my way, I’ll gonna make a play. That’s what I was able to do today. I capitalized on the few opportunities that I had. That’s what it’s all about. Nick tells me all the time, ‘You’ll get minimal opportunities but maximize them.’”
On Thursday, that’s exactly what Dotson did.
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