Brandon Graham and the Eagles’ pass rush overwhelmed the Giants

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – With a majority of his teammates already aboard the team’s charter buses bound for Philadelphia, a jubilant Brandon Graham lingered inside the visitors’ locker room at MetLife Stadium.

Seated on an undersized stool in front of his stall, Graham wanted to bask in every ounce of that victorious feeling. His three-sack outing on Sunday afternoon was part of a complete performance from the Eagles, who defeated the Giants, 48-22, in an absolute drubbing of their division rivals.

With the victory, the Eagles (12-1) became the first team in the NFL to secure a playoff spot.

“That’s one box that we can check off,” Graham said, smiling. “We ain’t done yet. We’ve got so much more ball to go. We’ve got to make sure we finish like what we want to, but this is a great first step.”

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Graham, a 13-year veteran and the longest-tenured pro athlete in Philadelphia, came through in several key moments. His second-half strip-sack of Giants quarterback Daniel Jones served as the exclamation mark for a tenacious pass-rush unit that harassed Jones and backup Tyrod Taylor all day.

The Eagles strung together 12 quarterback hits with a combined seven sacks coming from Graham, Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, Fletcher Cox, and Milton Williams. For perspective, the Giants’ defense — which blitzes at the highest rate in the NFL — managed just five quarterback hits against Jalen Hurts.

“That D-line, they make it easy,” linebacker Kyzir White said. “I feel like me and T.J [Edwards] don’t even get too much action because they handle everything. I think we have the best edge rushers in all of football.”

For Graham, these moments mean a bit more considering the turbulent journey he faced over the past year. After he missed a majority of last season with a torn Achilles tendon, the 34-year-old Graham admitted he didn’t know exactly what to expect coming into 2022, considering Sweat was coming off a Pro Bowl season and the team had added Reddick to the fold. Both players jumped Graham on the depth chart, but Graham insisted he never looked at it as a first- or second-string type of assignment.

“I’m just happy at this age, I’m still trying to stay relevant, stay helping the team,” Graham said. “I feel like we’re hungry. I’ve got to make my rushes count. Haason was just beating up on [Giants tackle Evan Neal] today. You could see Haason was on the sideline mad because he was one step away from sacking Jones every time. Once we stop the run, everybody knows our strength as pass rushers, and how hungry we are to get out there and make them count. Our best ball is starting to happen now late in the season before we make our run.

“We’ve got so much more that we’ve got to accomplish. The ultimate thing is to get a ring. It’s a great season so far, but we’ve got to stay focused on the task at hand, and that’s getting a ring.”

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Graham wasn’t the only emotional player in the locker room. Reddick also is demanding his respect after he became the first player in NFL history to record double-digit sacks in three consecutive seasons with three teams. Reddick’s sack on Jones boosted his season total to 10, which leads the team.

“Another milestone — it’s a blessing, big blessings,” Reddick said. “I had to overcome a lot of obstacles to get where I am right now. C’mon now. I’m not crying or begging for the respect, but it’s got to be there. Three different teams, three different schemes, three different head coaches, three different defensive coordinators. What does that tell you? ... Man, it’s a testament to my work, my teammates. It’s passion and dedication I have to this game.”

Thanks to a handful of roster additions, plus another year of seasoning under defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s scheme, the Eagles boast a relentless pass rush. This is more impressive considering that last season, the Eagles finished with the second-lowest amount of sacks in the league (29).

With four regular-season games remaining, the Eagles have already compiled a whopping, NFL-best 49 sacks.

“Just because we clinched the playoffs, this doesn’t mean we let off the gas,” Reddick said. “We’ve got to keep coming in, continuing to play the football that we have been. I think our best defense is yet to come. I think we’ve still got more growing to do. I’m just happy to be here playing elite football, being part of a team like this.”

When Graham and Reddick finally exited together, defensive tackle Jordan Davis emerged from the showers on the opposite side of the room. This type of late-departing practice is typical for the team’s top draft pick, who enjoys taking his time to gather himself and his personal belongings after games. Davis appeared unbothered as he hummed the tune of a viral pop song.

For a majority of his football career, Davis has enjoyed being part of successful defenses. Last season, Davis starred on college football’s best defense with the reigning national champion Georgia Bulldogs. Davis has acknowledged the NFL is a different beast, but the rookie is now enjoying every moment while he learns behind a veteran-led unit that ranks among the league’s elite.

“When I got to Philly, some people were trying to write off BG,” Davis said of Graham. “He’s one of the most consistent workers I’ve ever been around. It’s still his time. It’s our time. We’ve shown we can get it done in different ways.”

Davis concluded: “Our pass rush is one scary bunch.”