Graham out to prove doubters wrong
Defiant Graham hopes he and Eagles prove doubters wrong ... again
Brandon Graham has made a career of proving people wrong. He fired another warning shot Thursday.
The fun-loving defensive leader of the Eagles sent a message to those doubting the team currently occupying third place in the laughingstock known as the NFC East, the same 3-7-1 team riding a three-game skid into Lambeau Field this Sunday.
Perhaps in the Festivus spirit, Graham had grievances to air during his Zoom session with reporters.
“At the end of the day ... we want to prove all y’all wrong. That everybody wants to tank the season, that it’s over, ahh,” said Graham, emitting a bear-like roar to underscore his frustration over the negative talk outside the locker room about the team’s awful play in 2020.
“What I do know, man, is we’re going to fight until the end,” Graham continued. “I’m going to bet on us all the time because that’s what I like the most. Like I said, the leaders on this team won’t let you fall into that. We’re here, we address it now. I feel more comfortable than ever addressing stuff that goes against what we’re trying to do. I can’t have people talking negative about what didn’t happen — I don’t care what just happened, we still got an opportunity, but it’s on us and our attitude and how we’re going to fit it.
“I’m excited because I know when we get out to Green Bay, we going to fight like we did last year and we going to go out and try to get this win.”
Graham, whose strip sack of Tom Brady in Super Bowl LII will live forever in Philadelphia sports lore, will play his 155th career game Sunday. That ties Trent Cole for the most games played by a defensive player in franchise history, a remarkable accomplishment for a 32-year-old who overcame the first-round-bust label to become one of the team’s most dependable players. For the last three seasons, Graham has not only been one of the most durable defensive ends in the game, but one of the best.
“It’s always special any time I get to go out on this field,” he said. “I always reminisce and look at the view that I’ve been looking at for what has been 11 years now, actually. ... It’s a blessing because of all the stuff I’ve been through, not knowing where I’m going to be and getting ridiculed by you guys, always keeping me on my toes and I’m having fun. It’s been up and down.”
Graham and the Eagles defense have, by and large, avoided the wrath of fans and media during the team’s losing streak. The majority of the woes have fallen at the feet of Carson Wentz, who is statistically one of the worst quarterbacks in the league, and head coach Doug Pederson, whose play-calling has left much to be desired. Graham said that Wentz “had to own some of the stuff” contributing to the team’s horrid campaign.
“The first step is admitting where you’re bad at, you know what I’m saying?” Graham said. “And that’s what I love that Carson did. When we talked to the team ... he let us know that he’s working his butt off to make sure that he starts doing a lot of stuff better. That’s all people want to hear is you take ownership of yours and we can move on because that’s how you build a relationships, taking ownership of what you do, and now let’s do something about it.
“That’s what we’ve been doing at practice, trying to make it fun and competitive. Instead of just the defense being all hype and stuff, we’ve seen the offense out there making plays. You need that energy to rub off on other people because some people, everybody ain’t ready to go to practice sometimes, but if some people on your team comes out with that energy and starts making plays, it’s infectious and people start to pick it up some.”
Graham is excited to play against — and trashtalk — the great Aaron Rodgers, who has thrown for 3,100 yards and 33 touchdowns for the NFC North-leading Packers. In last year’s meeting, a 3427 Eagles win at Lambeau, Rodgers was 34-for-53 for 422 yards and two touchdowns. Graham recovered a strip sack by Derek Barnett to set up what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown late in the second quarter.
“Nobody is exempt of the trash talk,” Graham said. “At the same time, there’s much respect to Aaron all the time. I tell him that to the face, like, ‘Hey man, it’s all respect, but today’s going to be that type of day today, we’re coming.’”
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After Seattle’s DK Metcalf torched the Eagles for a career-high 177 yards — a performance for which Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay took full blame — Green Bay’s Davonte Adams is on the docket this Sunday.
In early November, Adams declared himself “the best wide receiver in the game” following a 10-catch, 173-yard game against San Francisco. In nine games this year, Adams has 74 receptions for 908 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Slay (calf) was added to the team’s injury report Thursday. He was a limited participant at practice.
Avonte Maddox has reaped the benefits of playing opposite Slay, whose job is to defend the offense’s best pass catcher. After Adams,
Slay’s job doesn’t get much easier with Arizona’s DeAndre Hopkins and New Orleans’ Michael Thomas on the horizon.
“You notice that it’s top guy against top guy, and (Slay’s) battling each and every play,” Maddox said. “All you can do is tip your hat off to that guy because letting Slay do that, it opens up opportunities and other things for us to do on defense. Slay is definitely a competitor and a great cornerback in this league. Me playing on the other side of him, watching him work his craft and do his job is definitely a good thing for me.”
*** Fletcher Cox was held out of practice for a second straight day as the Pro Bowl defensive tackle deals with a neck injury.
Zach Ertz, who hasn’t played since fracturing his ankle against Baltimore in September, was a limited participant along with starting middle linebacker T.J. Edwards (hamstring) for a second day in a row. Wide receiver J.J. ArcegaWhiteside was removed from the COVID-19 list Wednesday and a full participant in practice again.