What will A.J. Brown do for an encore?

In Detroit, Brown did his damage in so many ways – quick hitches and catch-and-runs from the slot, shallow crossing routes, speed routes on the outside. He did damage at every level against the Lions, hence the receiving yardage total that ranked second in the NFL in Week 1.

But that is just one game and a small sample in the big picture of a 17-game season. We are likely to see a feeling-out period on Monday night as the Eagles see how the Vikings’ defense plays it against Brown and the other potent pass-catching weapons here, including wide receivers DeVonta Smith, Quez Watkins, and Zach Pascal, along with tight end Dallas Goedert. The first few weeks of a season contain so many unknowns as teams continue in this period of discovery. What will the Vikings do to limit Brown, who understands that “definitely there is going to be a lot of attention on me”? How do the Eagles counterpunch that defensive approach?

“We have a lot of playmakers and options,” Smith said. “That’s a key to a great offense and we know that, while we scored 31 points (from the offense solely) last week, we have a lot more in us. We all have to be ready when the opportunity presents itself. Control what you can control and that’s being ready when your number is called.”

Minnesota’s defensive scheme is similar to what the Eagles run with multiple fronts and pressure packages. Minnesota played a lot of combinations of zone coverages in its win over Green Bay last week, a convincing performance in a 23-7 win over Green Bay.

The respect goes both ways here, setting the stage for a special night on center stage.

Brown is in the middle of the storm and he’s keeping his mind where his feet are. He limits his social media during the season, he said, to not allow any comments – positive or otherwise – to seep into his mindset. The focus is on A.J. Brown.

“It’s me against me. I don’t believe my own hype,” he said. “I’ve gotta come in and work each and every day. It can get into your head. Everybody wants to hear good things about him. But I just try to focus on me. I feed myself whatever thoughts I need to feed myself before the game or practice. I get myself prepared. I don’t want it to come from an outsider.”

Well, there is going to be a lot of outside love for Brown and for the Eagles on Monday night, and it will all be welcomed. They call it “home-field advantage” for a reason. The energy, the passion, the sharing of the mission, it’s all critical to the team’s success.

To close the loop,…