AJ Brown debacle exemplifies Eagles crumbling from within

The Philadelphia Eagles are limping into the NFC postseason, losing four out of their past five games. Perhaps even more concerning than that is a perceived locker room drama, which often comes with defeats on the field. Philly lost to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Shortly thereafter a piece by the Philadelphia Inquirer included some less-than-ideal quotes about how AJ Brown's actions on and off the field were perceived by his teammates.

Brown hasn't spoken to the media for at least the past week, which is well within his right if he doesn't mind paying the fine. However, this season he's also gotten in shouting matches with Jalen Hurts on the sideline, and reportedly questioned the coaching staff behind closed doors.

“Any time you have bad body language from a leader like that, other guys see it, and it’s not good,” said one veteran.

Brown took close to five minutes leaving the field for the locker room following Philly's loss to Arizona. In his lone comments in quite some time, Brown simply stated, “I was taught if I had nothing good to say to not say anything. I’ll take the fine if I have to.”

What's wrong with AJ Brown and the Philadelphia Eagles?

The entire Eagles team is in a funk, but notably the offense has had a rough go of late. The curious play calling, littered with quarterback draws and screen passes rather than the explosive plays we've grown accustomed to in this Philadelphia system haven't helped matters. Nick Sirianni has preached togetherness amid this tough stretch.

“Stick together. Stick together. Everyone’s got to stick together,” Sirianni said Sunday. “I think there’s going to be a lot of people trying to point the finger at different things. Everybody’s got to stick together, right? We win as a team. We lose as a team. And together is the most important thing that we can be right now.”

The finger pointing starts with the leader, who hasn't taken accountability for his team's shoddy play or the curious play-calling that has left explosive targets like Brown in shambles.