Getty Eagles DE Brandon Graham has big goals entering his 10th NFL season.
Digging out of holes has become the norm in Philly. Underdogs. No one likes us. We don’t care.
All that extra motivation creates tunnel vision and resiliency. But how long can they rely on that? The Eagles currently have a 19-percent chance of making the playoffs, per Five Thirty-Eight, and teams starting 0-2 haven’t really fared well since the NFL expanded the postseason format in 2002: 16 of 148 teams made the playoffs, with the 2007 Giants winning the Super Bowl.
So it’s not impossible for these Eagles. However, it’s going to take a quick fix and short-term memory. Brandon Graham isn’t worried. In fact, the Eagles top pass rusher sees a “lot of greatness ahead of us.”
“And I’m not worried. I’m excited actually because when a lot of adversity hits, a lot of people definitely give up on you, but that’s not this team,” the defensive end said. “We’re still going to fight and we still have a lot of greatness ahead of us. And we believe, and that’s all that matters. We’re going to make sure we get it right.”
It echoes comments from his quarterback, Carson Wentz, who believes the Eagles can still be an “elite offense.” No one in that locker room has given up.
“We have the potential with the pieces we have on offense to be great — to be elite — on offense,” Wentz said. “We’re excited to get those things fixed and start showing that we are elite.”
Brandon Graham on DLine
“We hold ourselves accountable. We are the engine of this defense. We have to make sure we step it up. We can be more dominant. We just have to get it done and I think we will.
I know we will. I’m not worried. We’re going to make sure we get it right”
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Eagles ‘Not Folding Up Our Tents’
Doug Pederson’s voice has always been able to cut through the clutter in Philly. He keeps his guys calm, allows them to be themselves while blocking out the outside noise. Miles Sanders mentioned the word “resiliency” when explaining the head coach’s message to the team. Well, it’s time to show that fight.
“Listen, there’s going to be setbacks, right. There’s going to be things that don’t go our way,” Pederson told reporters on Monday. “But instead of just folding up our tents and going and doing something else, we’re going to fight the fight, man. This is a sport I love to play it, and now I love to coach it. Obviously, we get into this business to win, right, and obviously I’ve been hired here to win championships and to win games.”
Pederson explained that the players are “mad” and “upset” about starting 0-2. They are moving on to a brand new week and an opportunity to flex their muscle on the Cincinnati Bengals. It’s not time for anyone to start crying in their ice cream.
“But nobody’s going to feel sorry for the Philadelphia Eagles or feel sorry for me. I’m going to come here every day and take your questions,” Pederson told reporters. “You may not like the answers, but I don’t care, quite frankly, and what I care about is our team, right and getting our team prepared to play the Bengals this Sunday.”
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