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PHILADELPHIA -- A.J. Brown and Jalen Hurts said all week they were good. They didn't have a chance to show it until Sunday. 

As the ol' saying goes, actions speak louder than words. All it took was 13 minutes, 47 seconds of game time to show Philadelphia everything was fine. That was the moment when Hurts connected with Brown for a 5-yard touchdown pass to put the Philadelphia Eagles ahead for good in a 27-13 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

There went Brown, running right over to Hurts to celebrate with his quarterback. The jubilee was similar to the dance scene from Kid 'n Play in "House Party," the exclamation point that everything was indeed good between Hurts and Brown. 

"That was our moment to tell everybody to shut up," Brown said. "Honestly."

There was enough self-inflicted drama in the Eagles locker room this week that "The Young and the Restless" couldn't keep up. At the center of it were Hurts and Brown, through no fault of their own. 

When asked what the offense needed to improve upon after a narrow victory over the Carolina Panthers the week prior, Brown responded with a one-word answer -- passing. The comment was genuine and wasn't intended as a slight at Hurts in any way. 

Just when the "passing" comment was dying down, the hornet's nest was kicked when Eagles team captain Brandon Graham said Hurts and Brown "were friends, but things have changed." The "passing" comment then took a life of its own, as the swarm of media hovered upon Hurts, Brown and several other Eagles stars throughout the week. 

How could a team that's won nine games in a row have such controversy surrounding them? Regardless of what transpired, Brown certainly wasn't apologizing for his initial comment. 

"I said it for a reason," Brown said. "I didn't have any intention behind it. It wasn't for me to get involved. It was for us to get on the same page and put our best foot forward. 

"We know what we're capable of, and last week wasn't our standard. So we spoke up about it. It was crazy. Everyone in the locker room said the same thing, but I kind of got crucified. But it's cool."

Brown wasn't even the only Eagles player to criticize the passing game. Jordan Mailata and Hurts also thought the passing offense wasn't where it needed to be, leading to what Brown deemed "uncomfortable" conversations between him, Hurts, DeVonta Smith and others. 

"I didn't call anybody out (publicly). Behind closed doors, we talked about it. We called each other out," Brown said. "It was very uncomfortable because we don't want to feel like we're getting attacked."

Hurts wouldn't open up about those conversations. Saquon Barkley said there was "nothing different" with Hurts throughout the week, but the conversations were had -- even though Hurts and Brown were on the same page. 

"A lot of tough conversations," Smith said. "Having those uncomfortable conversations with each other, I think that's why this team is so close, and why this team is so good. 

"Everyone can have those uncomfortable conversations with each other, and nobody feels no type of way."

Hurts made sure the passing game was up to par immediately. He went to Brown and Smith early and often, starting the day 12 of 13 for 146 yards and two touchdown passes for a 153.0 passer rating over the first three drives. Brown and Smith were targeted 10 times during that stretch, amassing nine catches for 98 yards and two scores. Most importantly, the Eagles scored 17 points to take control of the game.

Hurts finished the day 25 of 32 for 290 yards and two touchdowns for a 125.3 passer rating. He finished 8 of 11 for 110 yards and a touchdown targeting Brown (134.7 rating) and 11 of 12 for 109 yards with a touchdown targeting Smith (132.3 rating).

"So that's what you all wanted to see, huh?" Hurts said in his opening statement after the win. 

The Eagles made sure the pass offense could carry the unit if Barkley was neutralized. The Steelers decided to put an extra defender in the box to contain Barkley, and he finished with 19 carries for 65 yards (3.4 yards per carry). As Barkley's MVP candidacy dwindled, he stayed consistent to his word that he didn't care about obtaining the single-season rushing record. (Barkley is on pace for 2,050 yards now after entering Sunday's game on pace for 2,123.)

"We won a game where we didn't run for 200, 300 yards so everyone -- the media in Philly -- can take a deep breath," Barkley said. "I think it's funny. You go back 10 weeks ago, the sky was falling and everyone was saying, 'We should do this, we should do that.' Everyone was jumping off the bridge.

"But we kept the main thing the main thing. We kept focus and believing in each other. We have to continue to do that. It's still a long season, and to accomplish what we want to accomplish, we got a big divisional opponent coming up." 

As for that controversy that stirred around the Eagles locker room? There isn't one. 

This is an Eagles team that has one goal -- to win the Super Bowl. The self awareness of this group is why the Eagles have won 10 games in a row and turned this season around after a 2-2 start. They're the best team in the NFL, drama be damned. 

"I'm gonna skip the Real Housewives of f---ing Philadelphia channel," said Lane Johnson. "I'm gonna go to something else."