PHILADELPHIA − Brandon Graham is 34 years old, and last year at this time, he was wondering if he’d ever play again.
Back then, Graham’s season ended in Week 3 with a torn Achilles, and he knew at his advancing age, the chances of a comeback were slim at best.
Yet not only is Graham back, but with 8.5 sacks, he’s just one sack behind his career high. And he’s doing it while playing just 40% of the defensive snaps, his lowest percentage since 2013 when many considered him a first-round bust.
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Graham is coming off a career-high 3 sacks against the Giants in the Eagles’ 48-22 win last Sunday. He was named the NFC’s Defensive Player of the Week. It’s the second time he has won it this season. He had never won it in his previous 12 seasons.
And Graham is part of a defense that has an NFL-leading 49 sacks, on pace to break the team record of 62 set in 1991.
So it’s easy to see why Graham is calling this a dream season. The Eagles are 12-1 and already clinched a playoff spot. Graham is playing better because he is playing less.
And Graham couldn’t be happier.
“You just make sure you throw your best haymaker that you can,” Graham said. “So that’s how I play it. I come in, and these boys like jab, jab, and here I come with the knockout.
“It’s been working for me.”
It’s been working for the Eagles, too.
They have five players with at least 6 sacks − Haason Reddick (10), Javon Hargrave (8), Josh Sweat (7.5) and Fletcher Cox (6) − for the first time in team history, mainly because the Eagles attack in waves, constantly rotating in fresh players.
No defensive lineman has played more than Cox’s 64%, and that’s Cox’s lowest percentage since his rookie year in 2012.
Of course, a team needs good players to rotate, or else it won’t be effective. Here, the Eagles have veterans Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph and rookie first-round pick Jordan Davis.
“It benefits all of them that they’re staying fresh and that they have everything they can give on each play,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said.
That makes Graham like a relief pitcher in baseball, who’s only coming in for an inning. He can throw as hard as possible without worrying about preserving his arm strength.
“I like being fresh,” Graham said. “I don’t want to be in a play where I’m just dog tired … knowing that if I was fresh that I would be able to make a play. I’m licking my chops in the fourth quarter when I know the O-line been in there the whole game.”
Then he added: “I’m just enjoying it, man. Still ain’t done yet.”
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
