There are times Brandon Graham sees the highlights of himself from years ago and he knows that time has caught up with him. He could say that there were plays that he used to do in his prime that he could not do today.
“I know I’m not who I was early on,” Eagle defensive end veteran said. “Gosh, when I watched some of the plays (words) before, I looked a lot faster. And I didn’t let these quarterbacks beat me in these dangerous zone reads.”
However, some things get better with age. And although at 34, and in his 13th NFL season, Graham may not look like the player he once was, he has become noticeably more effective. Just 16 months after being ripped off by Achilles that many thought would end his career, Graham is on the verge of his highest career-high 11 knockouts in the regular season, plus one more in the knockout stages. division supply last Saturday night.
And like Philadelphia Eagles (March 15) prepare for Sunday’s NFC Championship match (3 p.m. ET on FOX) against San Francisco 49ers (April 15), Graham is one of the NFL’s best passing speed leads. He is also succeeding with 9 caps in his last 9 games.
That’s not bad for a guy who thinks his best days are behind him and who has become a part-time player on his team.
“But I feel like I’m still going through the same thing, still dominating the running game,” Graham said. “And really (I) just love being the boys’ leader. Because coming on from the bench, I can see a lot of things. I try to be a light for the boys. , as long as they make sure they keep raising their game and that they know what we see on the sidelines.
“I just love my role on this team. My role is great this year. It’s fun.”
That’s the attitude Graham has embraced since he returned to the pitch in training camp this summer. He was taught a hard lesson last year when he tore his Achilles in a Week 2 loss to the 49ers, especially given his growing age, every game can turn into a match. his last fight.
And it is likely that the play will be the last. In July, he recalled how difficult it was to stay in bed nearly two months after the surgery, unable to do any physical activity. He recalls the “test.” “How badly do you want it? You want to come back, don’t you?” He admits “It was a battle” just to convince himself that he did.
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When he decided to return, it became clear that he would not return to the same full-time role. In 2020, Graham played 71.5% of the Eagles’ defensive saves. This year he only played 44.2% of the time. He even played just 12 of 52 tackles in a 38-7 playoff win over the Giants.
“Well, that keeps him fresh, no doubt,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni explained a few weeks ago. “He did a great job in capitalizing on the rep he got. And even though BG wasn’t there at times, he was still a leader. He was one of the great leaders. the greatest on this team. And everyone thrives on[him]. His energy is contagious.”
It can’t be easy to maintain that energy as a part-time player, given who he is and where his career seems headed. The 13th overall pick from Michigan back in 2010, it took Graham a while to really kickstart his career. He tore his cruciate ligament before he was a rookie and needed microfracture surgery later that year. And the lengthy recovery process cost him almost his entire second season. He didn’t become a regular starter for the Eagles until year 6.
However, he had a breakthrough towards the end of his career. Graham had 9.5 bags in 2017, powering the defense that took the Eagles to a super bowl championship. He even has a sack brave cat in the final minutes of Super Bowl LII – a game-ending game that was one of the most famous matches in Philadelphia sports history.
He added 8.5 bags in 2019 and another 8 in 2020 when he made the Pro Bowl for the first time. He is also very persistent. From 2012-2020, he only missed one match.
However, the injury changed Graham’s trajectory. Josh sweats began to emerge as the dominant passer in his absence. Then the Eagle went out and contracted with the edge crusher Haason Reddick to a three-year, $45 million contract back in March. Now on a load line also featured veterans Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave and rookie round one jordan davis in between, Graham had no choice but to reduce the role.
“What he’s done, after the injury and the role he’s taken on, he feels good, and he goes on the pitch and he produces, like all of our boys,” said Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon said at the end of the season. “But that’s why I like the rotation of that room, because it keeps those guys fresh so after the game they don’t get tired and they can win at a high level.”
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There is no dispute with the results. The Eagles have led the league so far with 70 covers this season – including 46.5 covers from eight defensive midfielders, not including 16 from Reddick (technically a a full-back) outside the touchline. Four players have a total of double-digit dismissals, including Reddick. Hargrave, Sweat and Graham are 11 each.
Of course, none of them do it in less than a split second than Graham.
He was impressive enough to make it to the final round of the NFL’s Returning Player of the Year award, though he was snubbed as the three finalists – The Giants Run Again Saquon Barkley49ers run again Christian McCaffreyand the Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith – was revealed on Wednesday.
Of course, it wasn’t the trophy Graham really wanted.
“For me, recovering from an injury that a lot of people can’t normally recover from, I recovered from it and I’m grateful for that,” he said. “I’m just trying to make sure I get the deal done by giving everything I have.”
That means taking advantage of every moment he gets, no matter how few, in what could be the final home game of his career on Sunday. Graham said he hasn’t given much thought to whether he will try to play again next season. For now, he’s just focused on making sure all the fun he’s had this season isn’t over.
“I’m just trying to get the deal done this season,” he said. “I’m just trying to stop time as much as I can.”
Ralph Vacchiano is an NFC East correspondent for FOX Sports, covering the Washington Commanders, the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants. He had spent the previous six years covering the Giants and the Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him on Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.
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