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Tim McManus, ESPN Staff Writer
PHILADELPHIA — Eagles veteran defensive finish Brandon Graham advised ESPN he took his feedback about teammates Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown too far throughout a radio look Monday night time.
Responding to Brown’s criticism of the passing sport following Sunday’s slender win over the Carolina Panthers, Graham emphasised the significance of hashing issues out internally relatively than by way of the media throughout his weekly radio present on 94 WIP. That’s when he advised Hurts and Brown aren’t tight the best way they as soon as had been.
“The individual that’s complaining must be accountable,” Graham stated. “I do not know the entire story, however I do know that [Hurts] is making an attempt and [Brown] could possibly be somewhat higher with how he responds to issues. They had been associates earlier than this however issues have modified and I perceive that as a result of life occurs. But it is the enterprise facet, that we’ve to verify the private would not get in the best way of the enterprise.”
Graham was reacting to Brown’s terse postgame feedback, wherein he stated “passing” was what the offense wants to enhance on and that “there’s not an excessive amount of dialog” between he and Hurts through the sport to troubleshoot when the cross sport is not totally clicking.
“I made a mistake and I assumed that it was one thing that it wasn’t,” Graham advised ESPN. “I simply need to win so dangerous that I do not simply need to use the media when we have to speak about one thing and we are able to repair the issue ourselves. I did not add to it in a very good mild in order that’s my dangerous.
“I simply assumed and it made me out to look even worse as a result of I had all of it improper and now individuals are going to run with that half. I actually simply need to win, man, and I would like brothers to have the ability to simply hash it out.”
Graham added that he’ll apologize to each Hurts and Brown for his feedback.
The Eagles are winners of 9 straight video games and improved to 11-2 with their 22-16 victory over Carolina. The efficiency was less than the staff’s requirements, nonetheless, notably within the passing sport.
Hurts ended 14-of-21 for 108 yards with a pair of touchdowns by way of the air. Brown was not focused till late within the second quarter. He sprung open a number of events for what may have been explosive performs however the ball did not go his means. Following a three-and-out within the first half, Brown threw his helmet down when he acquired to the sideline.
Asked what was lacking within the cross sport, fellow receiver DeVonta Smith stated, “Being on the identical web page.”
“Thinking the identical. Seeing the best alerts,” Smith stated, later clarifying that he was speaking about this sport particularly. “Just going on the market and making it work.”
Added Hurts: “I feel [the Panthers] did a very good job; I feel we did a nasty job. That begins with me, how I execute. Ultimately, you yearn and I yearn for higher synchronization, for a extra complementary model of ball, in a way.”
The Eagles have relied closely on MVP candidate Saquon Barkley and a floor sport that ranks No. 1 in speeding makes an attempt (473) and yards (190.5 per sport). The flip facet is that they’re useless final in passing makes an attempt (328) and haven’t established a lot of a rhythm by way of the air.
Brown stated it’s “extremely powerful” to get right into a rhythm as a receiver when the offense is not passing the ball a lot.
Brown and the staff have skilled excessive ranges of success since he was acquired through commerce from the Tennessee Titans in April 2022. The Eagles went to the Super Bowl in his first yr in Philly and have gained double-digit video games 3 times in as many seasons. On Sunday, the Eagles clinched a playoff spot as soon as once more. Brown went over 1,400 yards passing with Hurts the earlier two campaigns. He has 836 yards and 4 touchdowns this season, having missed three video games at first of the yr with a hamstring harm.
Brown and Hurts’ relationship dates again to when Hurts tried to recruit Brown out of highschool to come back to Alabama. They remained tight by way of the years, and Hurts is even the godfather to Brown’s daughter, Jersee.
There have been bumps within the street regardless of the general staff success, together with final season when the staff collapsed with a 1-6 end — a interval marked by outward frustration from Brown and others and a disconnect between Hurts and coach Nick Sirianni that factored into the offense’s lack of identification.
With so many issues going proper for the Eagles this season, Graham stated his intent was to make sure the staff was dealing with its enterprise the best means.
“I wasn’t making an attempt to be divisive. I simply did not need us to make use of the media in a nasty means,” he stated. “And that begins with me, too. I can not do this both. If I’ve acquired one thing, I’ve acquired to go to the individuals, too, as a substitute of simply feeding it like I did.”
