Brandon Graham has stoked the fire around the Eagles and Commanders’ reinvigorated rivalry.
We have seen flashes of a reinvigorated rivalry between the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders before. That being said, the following statement might sound as though it’s purely based on emotion. Then again, it could be spot-on and factual.
The tension between these two hasn’t been this thick since Buddy Ryan warned that Philadelphia’s adversaries from our nation’s capital would be carried off the field “in body bags”.
Those of you who are younger may have only heard of Buddy while talking about the old-school days with your mom, dad, grandma, or granddad. Trust us on this one. Coach Ryan was a natural treasure. He didn’t win any playoff games, but we love him, though you may hear varying stories about his class (or lack thereof) outside of the Eagles community.
But, anyway… Let’s make long stories shorter. Buddy kept his promise. A ton of Washington’s players left the field on stretchers on a November night that will forever be remembered as the Body Bag Game. Sadly, Washington returned to Veterans Stadium to exact revenge and throttle Philadelphia in a playoff game the following January. Although there have been flashes, this rivalry has never equaled that level of angst since then.
Eagles’ Brandon Graham pours gasoline on the fire
What a story, huh? The only thing it was missing was a legend who is known for his undying loyalty to the Eagles organization and trash-talking. Don’t worry… You’re covered. Brandon Graham has settled into retirement nicely, but with training camp approaching, his competitive buttons haven’t been turned off yet.
Call us crazy, but it seems Graham is more visible now than when he played. Everywhere we see him, it’s as though he is still in pads and throwing those verbal jabs before the coin toss. He recently took shots at the rival New York Giants while on stage at Fanatics Fest, and even more recently, he took a dig at longtime Eagles adversary Deebo Samuel.
There’s no love lost between the Eagles and Samuel, but that feud will get a shot in the arm moving forward. Washington traded a fifth-round draft choice to acquire his services. Some believe that will elevate Jayden Daniels’ play and the Commanders‘ offense. Others aren’t quite as convinced. Guess whose side Brandon Graham is on. He wasn’t shy about sharing his opinion.
What else needs to be said? If we’re being honest, Samuel has looked a bit heavier lately.
There is no love lost between Washington and Philadelphia. The tension, as mentioned above, has historically not reached the levels of what we have seen between the Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys, or the bad blood shared by Philadelphia and the New York Giants, but we may be on our way.
People are anointing the Commanders too early, and for a team as prideful as the Birds, that can be taken as disrespect. Game on. These two don’t meet until later in the season, but expect some fireworks.