Eagles’ A.J. Brown attempts to put end to CeeDee Lamb comparisons, says they are ‘not the same’

Eagles All-Pro wide receiver A.J. Brown wants to put an end to the conversations comparing him to CeeDee Lamb.

In a series of since-deleted tweets, Brown said the comparisons are not warranted because Lamb’s game is limited to one part of the field. 

“He plays slot and I play outside and inside,” Brown wrote.

Brown then suggested Rams receiver Cooper Kupp would be a more accurate player to compare to Lamb. Kupp was named the MVP of the 2022 Super Bowl and earned NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors for the 2021 season. 

Kupp primarily lines up in the slot. Brown added that his style of play is vastly different from players like Kupp and Lamb. 

“It’s not the same,” Brown noted.

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Brown attempted to clarify his comments in a separate tweet, saying he wasn’t “taking a shot” at Lamb “because he is cold and you’ll know I don’t care about the rivalry either.”

On paper, Brown and Lamb produced similar seasons. 

Brown hauled in 88 passes for 1,496 yards, while Lamb finished with 1,359 yards. Although Lamb accounted for 137 fewer receiving yards, he did manage more receptions.

Lamb had 107 over 17 regular-season games.

However, the differences become more evident when you take a closer look at the numbers. Lamb accounted for the fifth-most routes out of the slot among receivers last season, according to Pro Football Focus.

His 92 targets and 71 catches were third-most overall out of the slot. 

Brown ran a limited number of slot routes. Approximately 13% of Brown’s receptions originated from the slot, while a whopping 66% of Lamb’s catches came from the slot.

Slot receivers are often matched up against an opposing team’s nickel cornerback or a linebacker. But receivers who line up outside the numbers almost exclusively face cornerbacks.

Nickel corners and linebackers usually do not have the same speed and physicality that a primary cornerback on the outside posseses. 

Brown and Lamb play drastically different versions of the same position. So, their games may not be quite as similar as the pure pass-catching numbers reflect.