By David Weinberg
Twin brothers Sydney and Chase Brown will be staging the ultimate sibling rivalry when the Eagles take on the Bengals Sunday in Cincinnati.
Sydney is in his second season as a safety with the Eagles while Chase is in his second season as a running back with the Bengals.
There’s a good chance that Sydney might wind up having to tackle his brother.
“I think it would be sweet if (Sydney) got a cool hit on his brother,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said.
It marks a special reunion for the brothers, who are apart for the first time in their 24-year-old lives.
Chase was born at 5:33 a.m. on March 21, 2000 and Sydney arrived two minutes later.
They endured a difficult childhood in London, Ontario Canada, moving an estimated 20 times to various homes and shelters with their mother Raechel and younger sister, Mya.
The brothers moved together to Brandenton, Florida for high school, then played for the University of Illinois before getting selected in the 2022 NFL Draft.
“It’s been a journey,” Raechel told ESPN.com. “A lot of great and a lot of not-so-great all mixed together. But everything they’ve done, they’ve done together, at the same time.”
They’ve remained together despite playing for different NFL teams.
They talk on the phone daily, about football and about life.
“That’s my guy,” Sydney said to NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com after a 28-3 victory over the New York Giants. “(Chase) is almost like my therapist in so many ways.”
Those conversations helped Sydney come back from a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered in Week 18 of last season.
Sunday’s win at MetLife Stadium marked his season debut. He played 26 snaps on special teams, registering one tackle, and had a pass breakup while appearing on defense late in the game.
Chase has enjoyed an impressive season with the Bengals. He enters Sunday’s game having rushed for 327 yards and three touchdowns on 66 carries (5.0 yards per carry) and also has one TD reception.
If he wants to gain more yards against the Eagles, he may have to get past his brother to do it.
“This is going to be tough because it’s like a one-week breakup between the two of us,” Sydney said. “But it will be all right. We’ll play the game and then afterward we’ll be back together like we never left.
“I’m excited for it because this is something we’ve been working toward since we were little kids. It’s going to be cool to have that moment with him on the field.”
Eagles on a roll
Sunday’s game marks the midway point of a critical juncture for the Eagles (4-2).
They own a two-game winning streak after beating the Browns (1-6) and Giants (2-5) and are now taking on two more teams with subpar records. After playing the Bengals (3-4), they face former coach Doug Pederson and the Jaguars (2-5).
A 4-0 or 3-1 record in that four-game stretch would leave them in strong contention for the NFC East at the midway point of the year.
The Birds seem to be hitting their stride, especially on defense. After a lousy effort against Tampa Bay three weeks ago, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s group has gone back-to-back games without allowing a touchdown and have collected 13 sacks, including eight against the Giants.
“It seems like everything is just coming together,” Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham said. “Everybody is just believing in one another.”
A.C. receiver sets S.J. record
Atlantic City High School senior wide receiver Sah’nye Degraffenreidt recently set a South Jersey record.
The Rutgers University commit caught two touchdown passes in last Friday’s 54-14 victory over Hammonton to increase his career total TD receptions to 32.
According to South Jersey football historian Chuck Langerman, Degraffenreidt broke the Atlantic County record for career TD receptions. The previous mark was 30, set by 2022 Holy Spirit High School graduate Elijah Stewart.
Speaking of Atlantic City and Holy Spirit, those teams will be playing for the West Jersey Football League’s Constitution Division championship on Thanksgiving Day.
The Vikings (6-2) and Spartans (7-1) are also among several local teams expected to qualify for the upcoming state playoffs, along with Absegami (4-4), Cedar Creek (6-2), Mainland Regional (5-3), Oakcrest (5-3), Ocean City (5-3) and St. Augustine Prep (5-3).
David is a nationally recognized sports columnist who has covered Philadelphia and local sports for over 40 years. After 35 years with The Press, he has served as a columnist for 973ESPN.com and created his own Facebook page, Dave Weinberg Extra Points.
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