The Philadelphia Eagles are hoping to head into their bye week after getting revenge against the New York Giants on Sunday. Building off the momentum from the road win against the Vikings, another Eagles win will go a long way in changing the discourse around the team before the additional week of rest. Unfortunately, however, the Eagles will have to do this with a decimated pass rush rotation.
Not only did the Eagles rule out Azeez Ojulari with a hamstring injury, but they are also keeping Brandon Graham out, delaying his season debut until after the bye, according to their latest injury report, via Eliot Shorr-Parks.
Brandon Graham's Season Debut Will Have to Wait Until After the Bye Week
This doesn't come as a major surprise, as it has only been four days since Graham joined the team. Yes, he is very familiar with the team, coaching staff, and the defensive schemes, but he is also a 37-year-old who hasn't practiced with the team all season. Some Eagles fans were hopeful of Graham's debut since the team is so desperate for more bodies on the pass rush rotation, but it was perhaps always too ambitious to expect Graham to suit up.
Based on Graham's remarks on Friday, this seems like an organizational decision. When asked about his availability earlier in the day, the Eagles legend said he wasn't sure, and he was leaving it to the trainers, and added, "We got a plan, and so, I’m gonna see. Great week, speaking for myself. Just more nervous about how I was gonna do, even though I’ve been working. But it was cool, definitely cool. Not as bad as I thought," per InsideTheBirds.com's Andrew DiCecco. The fact that Graham feels good and ready is certainly an excellent sign, but the Eagles understandably don't want to risk him for the second half of the season.
This means that the Eagles will now have Jalyx Hunt, Josh Uche, and Patrick Johnson as their only available defensive ends for Sunday. Jihaad Campbell will likely play a ton of defensive snaps as a pass rusher like he did in Week 7, opening up more opportunities for Nakobe Dean.
The previous matchup against the Giants was Philadelphia's worst defensive performance of the season, including an anemic pass rush. Whether this short-handed unit can do a better job at home remains to be seen.