Ahead of Super Bowl LIX, PhiladelphiaEagles.com will catch up with several of the assistant coaches for three questions to discuss some of the moments and players who have helped the team reach the championship game. Today, Wide Receivers Coach Aaron Moorehead explains how the fixtures at the position – A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith – complement each other, while adding several veteran and young players to the mix this season.
What has it been like to coach A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith for the past three years?
"I think when you coach two guys with that talent, it makes you a better coach because A, you don't want to waste any piece of their day. That's practice. That's meetings. I know I can't have anything that they're not going to be ready for. Their talent is so great that the little detail you give them could be the difference between them having a 60-yard play and a 16-yard play. We have little things like that, but also, just understanding the kind of guys they are and how they come to work every day makes it a lot easier for me too."
How does A.J. and DeVonta's skill sets complement each other and what challenges does that provide for a defense?
"A.J. is so big and strong and can run and he's quick. That presents that problem. DeVonta is fast. He's so quick, elusive, I think that if you put the two of them together, one guy is going to match up on one DB better than another one. The other guy may match up better with another DB. We have the ability to create our matchups where you're just stuck, like 'You have to put this guy on this DB or I'm going to move him around in the formation, get him where we want him,' and allow them to create their own matchup issue. They do such a good job of communication. We start it during the week (of preparation) and it usually ends in the fourth quarter of the game. It never stops of, 'What's he doing?' 'How's he playing?' 'Is he doing something on tape we didn't see?' If he is, then we got to talk about it and get it figured out during the game."
Take us behind the scenes and share what you've seen from the newcomers to the team this year: Parris Campbell, Jahan Dotson, Ainias Smith and Johnny Wilson?
"Jahan is very much an unsung hero. Jahan does a lot of small things that people don't realize. He's blocked really well this year. When the ball's thrown to him, he's caught the ball. He just hasn't had a lot of opportunities. Every time we've needed him to make a play, he has and that's what I love about Jahan. We're going to need him to do that here on Sunday.
"Johnny has been awesome on special teams this year. He's made so much progress. He's just so big and strong and physical. Jalen really likes him and Ainias as young players. He works with them a lot. It's been pretty neat to see those guys develop. Ainias is doing a great job, kind of been a developmental year for him. Coming in injured, caught back up. He played a few games. Now, he's more in a developmental type of role, but he's got a good future ahead of him.
"Parris is the stability of our room. That's the thing that no one sees – in the room, how he is with the guys, how he is with me, the conversations we have that aren't just on the surface. He's married. He's got kids. He's allowed to have these conversations that, all of these guys are young men, imagine trying to have that conversation with a guy who is 23 and going through a football season and has his first kid on the way. Those veteran guys who have been through it help. Parris has definitely been part of the stability of our room and anytime you ask him to do something, he does it – run a route, block somebody, go in on special teams. He does everything 100 percent and he's made plays when we've needed him to make plays. It's been a pretty cool room to say the least this year. Just excited about the opportunity here in a few days."
