Brown defends wide receivers

Reggie Brown has one word for all those who claim the Eagles wide receivers never got open Monday against Washington.

"Hogwash," he said Thursday.

"Do these quote-unquote experts actually watch the game, or are they just looking at the quarterback?" the third-year wide receiver said. "Most of the time when you see a game, you can't even see the receivers."

Brown has been conspicuous in his absence from the Eagles' play-to-play offense so far in two games, both defeats in which the offense underperformed.

He has a total of three catches for 41 yards so far, but late in the 20-12 loss to the Redskins, there were some rays of hope. Brown made a tough 19-yard fourth-down catch to keep alive a Philadelphia drive.

On Wednesday, head coach Andy Reid pointed to that drive as a sign that the Eagles offense might be emerging from the fog that has cost them two games.

Brown agreed.

"I think we started playing with a little bit more energy," he said of the fourth quarter. "Everybody focused in and we feel like we had to do it.

"It didn't feel like a sense of panic in the huddle. It felt like a feeling of confidence and unity and a sense of responsibility that we needed to go down and do this.

"Not panic."

Brown was a significant part of the Eagles' big-play potential in 2006, a potential that has not yet been realized this season.

Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said that Philadelphia's inability to hit on plays downfield has partly been a function of the defenses they have faced, which have sought to cut that aspect off.

Brown said that because the offensive timing has been off, the Eagles haven't been unable to hit on the shorter routes enough to draw defenses out of their prevent modes.

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