The 2025 Eagles are sort of like Lucy with the football. And the fans are Charlie Brown.
Every time fans feel good about their team — the top team in the NFC by record and Super Bowl odds entering Sunday's action — Lucy pulls away the football and the fans go flailing to the ground.
After exploding to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter in Week 12 against the Cowboys in Dallas, the offense turned itself off and the defense couldn't limit the big play. And Xavier Gibson muffed a late-game punt he had no business trying to return. The resulting 24-21 loss doesn't have anyone in Eagles Nation feeling remotely good about a team still very close to clinching a division title.
As we do every week, here's a look at a player whose stock is soaring, and an area of serious concern:
### Stock up: A.J Brown 📈
More headlines and column inches have been dedicated to Brown than any other Eagle this season. He's one of the most talented wide receivers in the NFL, is already one of the best in team history and has been a key part of the team's recent stretch of success.
But he's been nearly irrelevant this season, having failed to exceed 50 yards receiving in six of nine games played (prior to Week 12) and averaging just seven yards per target. He's touched the football five or less times in five games. Last week against the Lions, Brown caught seven of 11 passes but they resulted in just 49 yards and no touchdowns.
Clearly he has been being underutilized, or at least he thought so.
The three-time Pro Bowler has been outspoken in the locker room and on social media. It all started the last time the Eagles played the Cowboys — on NFL Opening Night back in September. Brown had just one target.
In Dallas Week, Part 2, Brown had five catches for 67 yards and a touchdown, and nearly had a second touchdown catch in the red zone all in the first quarter (but he failed to get two feet in bounds). Anytime the offense included Brown, good things happened.
A productive game for Brown, or several, has been expected for a while, amid musings [that perhaps he was on the decline](/eagles-aj-brown-still-elite-receiver/). Perhaps his 110 yards on eight catchesX in Week 12 will alleviate some of the criticisms, as the offense as a whole continues to struggle with consistency and production.
### Stock down: Penalties 📉
For a team in first place that boasts veteran leadership up and down the roster, the penalties have been a problem all season and eventually they could become truly consequential.
Prior to kickoff Sunday the Eagles had committed 625 yards worth of accepted penalties — the 8th most of any team. In addition to being out-gained offensively in nine of their 11 games (including this one), they have a net -129 yard penalty difference which certainly doesn't help.
A few lowlights:
• During their third touchdown, drive the Birds were able to overcome a **holding call** on Tyler Steen that moved the offense back 10 yards.
• In the third quarter an **illegal formation** call erased a big catch and run on a beautiful play action completion to Dallas Goedert — the miscue would eventually lead to an Eagles punt. And an offensive pass interference call on DeVonta Smith deleted another completion to Goedert.
• Perhaps the worst offense came in the third quarter when an epic pass rush led to a Nakobe Dean interception that wasn't, as the Eagles had **12 men on the field** when the ball was snapped. But the Eagles were bailed out when Brandon Aubrey missed a field goal to cap off that drive.
• Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean were both flagged for **pass interference** calls in the second half — rare setbacks from two of the better lockdown corners in the league (the DeJean call was declined because CeeDee Lamb caught the 50-yard deep ball).
• With the game tied, an **illegal use of hands** took a big completion to Smith off the board as the Eagles approached the red zone. Saquon Barkley would lose a fumble on the following play.
In all, the Eagles were flagged for an insane 14 penalties for 96 yards (not including the too many men violation which was equalized by a Dallas penalty on the same play).
It's hard enough to win in the NFL when you're not giving free yards to the opponent. It's something the team really needs to clean up with a short week ahead against the contending Bears Friday.