Brandon Graham proves ‘you can teach an old dog new tricks’ with two sacks as Eagles shut out Raiders
Graham became the oldest Eagles player to register a sack on Sunday and looks the part playing defensive tackle. "He’s getting that juice, he’s getting that flow back," teammate Jordan Davis said.
Brandon Graham was going home to an empty house Sunday evening. His family was out of town, and so one of Graham’s first thoughts after he registered his first sacks since coming out of retirement nearly two months ago was: What am I going to eat?
Graham had an answer. He was thinking Chinese. More specifically, he was thinking David’s Mai Lai Wah, the Chinatown staple at 10th and Race Streets.
Graham likes the sweet and sour chicken, the General Tso’s chicken, and the salt and pepper chicken wings at David’s. Why choose one? Graham more than earned himself a whole Peking duck.
The Eagles had their first shutout in almost seven years during their 31-0 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. They allowed just 75 yards, the fewest the franchise has allowed in the Super Bowl era. The Raiders averaged just 1.8 yards on their 42 offensive plays. They did not possess the ball past the Eagles’ 33-yard line.
In the middle of it all was Graham, playing defensive tackle and not defensive end as the Eagles play without Jalen Carter. Graham sacked Kenny Pickett twice, two of the four sacks the Eagles were credited with on the day.
“It just felt good,” Graham said. “I was like, ‘Dang, Kenny, I’m sorry. But, brother, you’re in the way.’”
The Eagles followed up a disastrous Black Friday performance vs. the Chicago Bears — who piled up 281 rushing yards against the Eagles’ front — with two of their best performances of the season. They allowed a touchdown on the Chargers’ first drive last week, but haven’t allowed one since. The touchdown-free streak reached 20 possessions by the end of Sunday.
“Thankful that nobody turned on each other,” Graham said. “Nobody wavered. Everybody continued to keep pressing, bringing the energy.”
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Graham has been bringing the energy in a new room. He has, for the last two weeks, lined up as a defensive tackle and has been in the meeting rooms with the other interior defensive linemen. Graham has been learning new techniques, working on his moves after practice. He picks up on things by watching his teammates, too.
It’s quicker, Graham said, rushing from the inside compared to the edge. But he looks the part through two games. Jordan Davis wants him to stick around even after Carter returns. Davis called Graham a “tweener” and is hoping the Eagles can do a “a little custody split” to keep him around.
Graham’s personality has long been infectious around the NovaCare Complex, and his fellow interior linemen are getting a closer look at it lately. “He loves on people, and you want to love on him,” said Moro Ojomo, who picked up his fifth sack of the season Sunday. Graham said the positivity flows both ways. There are days when it’s his teammates picking him up and not the other way around.
Davis was the position group’s elder statesman before Graham’s position switch. He will be 26 next month, 11-plus years younger than Graham, who on Sunday became the oldest Eagles player to register a sack.
“I always say you can teach an old dog new tricks,” Davis said. “I’ve seen it with BG.
“You’re never too old. I know Philip Rivers is playing today. Truly, it’s all about a mindset. BG just comes in to work. He’s getting that juice, he’s getting that flow back. He never lost a step.”
Graham said Sunday would be a confidence booster for the Eagles as they head into the home stretch, trying to close out a consecutive division title and moving toward the playoffs.
“I’m happy to be able to come back, because I feel like we can make another run,” he said.
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Speaking of another run, a two-sack performance begged the question: Is this Graham’s last season? He gave a tearful goodbye just nine months ago, only to return seven months later to a defense that needed his leadership and, apparently, his talent, too.
“We ain’t there yet,” Graham said. “I’m just trying to finish this year and enjoy the whole thing. Right now, I’m thankful that we got the win today, and we’re just trying to keep building for the next one.”
But first, it was time to eat.