'Slim Reaper' DeVonta Smith rises above – literally – to give Eagles ideal A.J. Brown complement

LANDOVER, Md. — DeVonta Smith imparted some advice to the fans watching at home. It sounded like a "Jackass!" disclaimer.

"I recommend that nobody do that," the Philadelphia Eagles second-year receiver said Sunday after he soared and snagged his way to eight catches, 169 yards and one touchdown in a 24-8 win over the Washington Commanders.

The play Smith described was his reception with the highest degree of difficulty – and the most painful. But it paled in comparison to the wounds he inflicted on the Washington secondary.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts took a shotgun snap from the Washington 45-yard line with 37 seconds remaining in the first half, and Smith was the lone receiver on the left side of the formation.

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Smith streaked down the field and Hurts aimed a 50-50 strike into double-coverage. Once he pawed and secured the ball between two Washington defenders, Smith slammed into the ground and had to leave the field for a few plays.

"Everything (hurt)," Smith said.

On fourth down, and with the clock running just before halftime, Hurts called his number once more. Again, Smith out-jumped a Washington defender – this time for a touchdown.

"That was crazy ... that boy definitely had wings on," receiver A.J. Brown said. "He was flying in the air."

The sequence not only demonstrated Smith's toughness, which makes him play larger than his 6-foot, 170-pound frame. He invoked his personal philosophy for when the ball is in the air.

"My ball or nobody's," Smith said.

'Sky is the limit' for WR duo

Smith's big-play ability was well known when the Eagles selected him 10th overall in the 2021 draft. Before that, he was a human highlight-reel for the Alabama Crimson Tide and became the first wide receiver in 29 years to win the Heisman Trophy.

That didn't stop the Eagles from trading for – and paying (four years, $100 million) – Brown, whose specialty is chunk plays, in April. The 1-2 punch has been dynamic for an Eagles offense that values explosiveness. Brown had 10 catches for 155 yards in the season-opener against the Detroit Lions. The next week, Brown had five catches for 69 yards and Smith posted seven catches for 80 yards.. Against Washington, both had touchdowns and Brown went for 85 yards on five receptions. They combined for 22 targets.

"The more you can be unpredictable, the better, right?" coach Nick Sirianni said.

Smith didn't have any catches (four targets) in the Week 1 win. To bounce back like that, Sirianni said, "shows you who DeVonta Smith is, right?"

"You gotta make the most of your opportunities," Smith said. "You may have a game like that where you don't get the ball or you don't get your opportunities. But when they come, you got to make the most of them."

It doesn't matter how many defenders may be in the vicinity, Hurts said – even if he isn't the biggest wideout.

"That's who he is. He's a great, all-around player. Slim Reaper," his quarterback said. "By the eyes, he may be a little sly, but he plays like a big boy and he is. He is a grown man."

The complementary styles of Smith and Brown are a headache for opposing defenses, said Brown, who has 20 catches for 309 yards and a touchdown this season. Smith has 15 catches for 249 yards and a TD.

"The sky is the limit for us and this offense," Brown said of the duo. "I definitely feel like the offense kinda relies and feeds off us. We handle our business.

"This is the best wide-receiver group I've been a part of, top to bottom."

50-50 balls will be DeVonta Smith's

Eagles cornerback Darius Slay thinks of Smith "like my little brother." The two have worked together on one-on-one press coverages. In Smith, Slay recognizes the mentality of a defensive back.

"He is a freak of nature," Slay said. "You see the twist of the body ... he attacked the ball the way a (defensive back) is supposed to.

"He has been doing that since he got here. He can really jump. That's normal for us to see that. That is not a shocker for us. That may be a shocker for you all."

Center Jason Kelce pointed out the matchup issues that he creates, especially when the balls continue to be well-placed by Hurts.

"We got some guys that can go up and get those balls. As a defense, maybe you got one DB who’s good at stuff like that,” Kelce told USA TODAY Sports. “I can imagine that being a rough thing to game plan for.

"I think Jalen does a great job of throwing those 50-50 balls."

In some ways, Kelce said, it reminds him of how former Eagles QB Nick Foles distributed the football.

"Nick was really good at putting the ball in a specific spot, whether it was for Alshon (Jeffrey) or certain guys," Kelce said. "It feels like Jalen certainly lends himself to (Foles’) game. He’s got good touch. He’s got good accuracy, especially when he knows where he wants to go with it.”

Hurts also has the luxury of two wide receivers currently playing at an elite level.

"Man, that’s great to have," Sirianni said. "Because at the end of the day, it comes down to matchups in this game. Can you win the majority of your one-on-one matchups?"

On Sunday, Smith proved he can win any matchup.

"When his number’s called," Hurts said, "he answers the phone."

Follow Chris Bumbaca on Twitter @BOOMbaca.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: DeVonta Smith rises above to provide Eagles with A.J. Brown complement