A.J. Brown limited in Eagles' Week 1 win over Cowboys

A.J. Brown, one of the Philadelphia Eagles' most accomplished playmakers, was all but absent from the stat sheet in the team’s season opener, catching one pass for eight yards as the Eagles beat the Dallas Cowboys 24-20 on Thursday night at Lincoln Financial Field. Brown’s near-invisibility drew confusion from fans and commentators throughout the game and renewed questions about how quarterback Jalen Hurts is deploying his top receivers.

Brown received a single target late in the fourth quarter and made the lone catch, according to official game statistics. For much of the contest, however, television viewers and social media users noted he appeared to be a nonfactor, and some early commentary described him as having zero targets until the game’s final moments. DeVonta Smith finished with three catches for 16 yards on three targets, while Jahan Dotson led Eagles receivers with three receptions for 59 yards. Tight end Dallas Goedert caught seven passes for 44 yards.

Hurts completed 19 of 23 passes for 152 yards and did not throw a touchdown, but he accounted for two scores on the ground and rushed 14 times for 62 yards. Running back Saquon Barkley added 60 rushing yards and a...