AJ Brown could learn from Amari Cooper's response to struggling Bills passing game

The Philadelphia Eagles advanced to the NFC Championship Game last Sunday despite another muted performance from Jalen Hurts, who dealt with a mid-game knee injury and spent the majority of his snaps setting up Saquon Barkley.

He finished with 128 passing yards, completing 15-of-20 passes. Hurts was efficient in a game-manager sort of way, but he did not engineer the explosive plays one might expect from a team with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith lined up wide.

Brown in particular has been a focal point in the media in recent weeks. He had two catches for 14 yards in the snow on Sunday, although he did receive seven targets. That was up from one catch for 10 yards in Philly's Wild Card victory over Green Bay.

During that infamous one-catch performance, Brown could be seen reading a self-help book on the sideline for motivation. Apparently it has been a frequent ritual all season, but the timing and optics couldn't have been much worse. Philly fans have embraced it, but Brown's anxiety over the passing attack (or lack thereof) is an ongoing theme.

Compare that to former Pro Bowl wideout Amari Cooper, who has totally accepted a small role in the Buffalo Bills' passing attack. Here is what Cooper said after a two-catch, eight-yard performance in Buffalo's Divisional Round win over Baltimore.

Amari Cooper gives A.J. Brown the template for what to say after quiet performances

Cooper is saying all the right things. He just wants to win. He has reached the mountaintop individually, but the Super Bowl eludes him. Buffalo is probably his last, best chance to get a ring, which Cooper is well aware of. Not everything is about individual accolades.

Brown, of course, is still at the top of his profession, so the limited usage is understandably frustrating. You can count the number of "better" receivers in the NFL on one hand. There's a different version of this Eagles offense — perhaps one not built around the most dominant running back... ever? — that leans far more heavily on Brown and the passing attack. It's not like Hurts is incapable of more dynamic performances. We have seen him air it out a bit more recklessly in the past.

That said, Brown can't keep letting his frustrations boil to the surface. We all remember Week 14, when Brown took his complaints about the 'passing' public.

That led to intense speculation about a riff between Brown and Hurts, with Brandon Graham fanning the flames in a sports radio appearance.

"I know 1 is trying and 11 could be better with how he responds to things. They were friends, but things have changed."

Brown quickly shot down those rumblings and affirmed his strong relationship with Hurts, but the damage was done. The Eagles have been the NFL's most dominant team since Week 4, but it all feels exceedingly fragile. Last season's ghastly ending is fresh in everyone's mind. There is no denying Brown's importance to this offense, but if he serves as a decoy rather than a primary weapon, that's fine — it has to be fine, as long as Philadelphia wins.

Saquon Barkley is enjoying quite literally the greatest running back season in living memory. The Commanders' run defense... not great, Bob. Of course the Eagles will lean on the run game again, especially if Hurts is operating at less than 100 percent in the pocket. Brown is always capable of reeling off that eruptive, game-changing catch, but it won't happen every week. Not in this offense. Frustration is understandable, but it can't be so blatant.

Hopefully, Brown takes a page from Cooper's book moving forward.