PHILADELPHIA – As the Philadelphia Eagles took a two-possession lead midway through the fourth quarter, AJ Brown sat on the sideline bench and reached out to his right.

Brown picked up his well-worn copy of Inner Excellence and flipped to a page of the mental abilities book highlighted in bright yellow and underlined in blue.

He started reading.

Yes: The Eagles’ star receiver read from a printed book in the middle of a 2025 NFL playoff game.

“In the pursuit of exceptional achievement, it is easy to succumb to fear and pressure because so much is beyond your control,” Brown read on page 2 of Jim Murphy’s Mindset book. “However, if you learn to live a life of commitment, you can achieve your best And I love the challenge.”

Brown thought about what was out of his control: his knee injury, his quarterback’s three-week stint in the concussion protocol, the limited targets he received Sunday afternoon. It all resulted in one catch for 10 yards that day.

Then he thought about the challenges he could take on anyway: blocking to jump over teammates like he did with his stiff arms on tight end Dallas Goedert’s touchdown, running routes that demanded the Green Bay Packers’ attention, even if he wasn’t targeted, emotionally stirring teammates in a 22-10 wild-card win.

For Brown, it all came down to inner excellence.

“It gives me a sense of peace,” Brown later explained of his unusual reading choice from his locker. “For me, this game is mental. I believe I can do anything and everything – but I have to make sure my mental state is good.

“My teammates call it the recipe.”

On Sunday night in Philadelphia, the lyrics to Murphy’s “Inner Excellence” were the recipe for Brown’s level-headed perspective on a game that was devoid of his usual production. The backstory of how he found it and embraced it reflects the recipe that gave the Eagles the boost heading into a home game against the winner of the Minnesota Vikings-Los Angeles Rams contest on Monday night.

Because Brown didn’t come across this book alone, nor did he receive a recommendation from another receiver or quarterback. As was the case against the Packers on Sunday, the Eagles defense deserves credit for rising to the challenge.

Eagles DT recommended the book to Brown, who accepted it

On the flight home from the Eagles-New Orleans Saints game on Sept. 22, Eagles defensive tackle Moro Ojomo opened a book he had wanted to read for some time.

A University of Texas-based chaplain and personal coach, DJ Giaritelli, had recommended it before the Eagles selected the Longhorn in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft. But after that Week 3 game in New Orleans, Ojomo actually started reading it and was surprised at how much it reminded him of an interview excerpt he had recently seen with Brown. The second-year defensive tackle and sixth-year receiver were by no means close back then; But Ojomo still approached Brown as they landed in Philadelphia and boarded the team bus.

“Honestly, I felt it in my heart — I just felt confident to recommend it to him,” Ojomo told Yahoo Sports by phone Sunday night. “It allows me to be less results-oriented and almost live a more truly joyful life. Essentially, we become so obsessed with some things we can’t control instead of controlling the things we can, and I think we miss life.”

Shortly thereafter, Brown got in touch to confirm the book’s title. Soon he was not only reading it—he counted it toward his goal of reading two books a month—but he was also highlighting, underlining, and writing his own bullet points on the inside front cover. He began bringing it to games and hiding it near the sideline, focusing on key passages between drives, regardless of the result.

Score a touchdown or run for 100 yards, as Brown did seven and five times this season, respectively? Murphy’s passages remind Brown that “those best moments always come from a clear mind and an unburdened heart.” Drop a pass or run an open route just to avoid being targeted? Murphy’s words warn Brown against judgmental thoughts or “beliefs that limit us.”

Against the Packers, that attitude didn’t help Brown post an eye-catching box score, nor did it help break the 26-minute, 40-second drought that quarterback Jalen Hurts endured midway through the game.

In a strangely mixed game, Hurts completed each of his first six passes and then missed seven in a row before the Eagles calmed down. Philadelphia completed just 2 of 11 (18.2%) third downs, while Hurts passed for just 131 yards on 21 attempts.

An Eagles win required nothing more from coordinator Vic Fangio’s defense on a standout day. Not only did backup linebackers Oren Burks and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. force and recover a fumble on the first kickoff, but three different defenders intercepted Packers quarterback Jordan Love.

According to Next Gen Stats, Hurts enjoyed an astonishing 6.75 seconds of protection after the snap and found receiver Jahan Dotson for the game’s first touchdown to capitalize on the kickoff turnover. The Packers didn’t reach the end zone until the fourth quarter, and even then it was too little, too late.

The Eagles didn’t celebrate their offensive performance, although Hurts downplayed the impact of his concussion protocol limitations on his performance. Philadelphia viewed their offense, and especially their passing game, as a clear area to improve next week – while recognizing that the ball security they practiced secured a +4 turnover advantage that even Packers head coach Matt LaFleur admitted he had in the past meant a victory for the Eagles.

“Do we want to repeat the events of today? Yes,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said. “We made mistakes as coaches and we made mistakes as players. And we’re going to go back and get these repaired.”

Brown at his best could lead the Eagles to excellence in the next game

Hurts attributed the desertion of completion midway through the game to execution and rhythm. He praised the defence’s swipes and at the same time took responsibility for ensuring that the turnovers did not result in more points.

“We need to find our rhythm earlier in the game,” Hurts said. “At the end of the day, you just want to impose your will and your style of play. I think we know we’re capable of a lot of different things, but we just have to find our rhythm, go out there and ultimately make it happen.”

Hurts said the Packers focused on linebacker and leaned toward the base personnel. He expects more teams to stop the run after the Eagles carried Saquon Barkley to 119 yards on 25 carries in the wild-card game.

An Eagles defense that led the league in yards allowed and ranked second all season in points allowed appears well on track for the Vikings or Rams, whoever awaits them next to be.

Therefore, Philadelphia’s ability to advance through the divisional round will depend more on its offensive performance. Minnesota, in particular, could pose a threat to Barkley after leading the second-strongest rushing defense in the regular season. Brown’s history suggests he is capable of holding his own against both opponents.

When Philadelphia leaned heavily on the run against the Carolina Panthers last month and Hurts passed for just 108 yards, Brown publicly urged his teammates and himself to improve the passing game.

The Eagles returned the next week, racking up 290 passing yards against a strong Pittsburgh Steelers team. Hurts and Brown alone had eight catches, 110 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets. After that win, Hurts loudly proclaimed the need to “water the turf” of the passing game after nurturing the running game for a while.

“We want to continue to have a well-rounded position,” he said, “and irrigate all areas.”

Combine that resiliency of production with Brown’s less controversial response to Sunday’s passing decline, and the Eagles have reason to be confident. They care less about how they win and more about how they win The They win, said several players.

On Sunday, they were relieved to have avoided last year’s wild-card exit at Tampa Bay, and they were eager to capitalize on the formula that would give them another win next week.

For Brown, expect this recipe to once again include his torn cover copy of “Inner Excellence” as his teammates celebrate what works for him and for each of them.

They don’t think twice about it, several said after the game.

“That’s AJ Brown — he can do whatever he wants,” left tackle Jordan Mailata told Yahoo Sports. “None of us see this as an insult to his work ethic or a disrespect to the game. That’s just the way his mind works to get in the zone (and) he’s so disciplined in his plan. There is a method to the madness.

“Whatever works for him, for us it’s like, ‘That’s AJ.’

“Shoot, maybe I’ll get some Dr. in the next game.” Seuss out. “Green eggs and ham?”