Brandon Graham Believes Sean Desai Decision Was Media-Driven

When a team is reeling, leadership needs to prevail. Brandon Graham didn’t portray the best public message about the Philadelphia Eagles and their decision to demote Sean Desai, however.

Jeff McLane spoke with Andrew Salciunas on 97.5 The Fanatic about how Graham perceived the move.

The Philadelphia media and fan base respond with intense criticism when the Eagles don’t perform. Head coaches and offensive and defensive coordinators become the targets of harsh scrutiny often.

It happened to Sean Desai. It’s happened to Brian Johnson throughout the season. The criticism is spreading to Nick Sirianni also.

However, NFL decision-makers must evaluate performance. A defensive unit that had allowed 36.3 points per game in their previous three games was the real cause for concern. It wasn’t the media.

Adam Schefter spoke on The John Kincade Show about “very strong evidence to the contrary” of what Brandon Graham believes.

The Eagles had been struggling brutally defending third downs and red zone opportunities when Matt Patricia took over play-calling duties. There were serious communication issues in a secondary filled with accomplished NFL veterans like Darius Slay, James Bradberry, and Kevin Byard.

The organization identified the need for a change and made it.

McLane identified two potential problems. If Sirianni and other members of the organization allowed outside criticism to drive the decision, they’re concentrating on all the wrong things. There’s no confirmation that Brandon Graham is correct about the demotion of Sean Desai, however.

At the very least, one problem is present. 

The longest-tenured athlete in Philadelphia sports shouldn’t worry about the media. He should be one of the leaders calming the locker room.

Graham elaborated in McLane’s story in The Philadelphia Inquirer by keeping the magnitude of his comments within a reasonable scope.

A dark cloud hangs low over the city of Philadelphia today. Sports fans are walking with their heads hung low, bags under their eyes from staying up too late thinking about the loss. We're tired, and more importantly, we're disappointed. The Philadelphia Eagles lost their game.

So many things contributed to this devastating loss. It hurts to see such a good team get beaten. It hurts to watch another team celebrate in your stadium. At the moment, it seems nothing will make it better.

Here we are, just hours after the Eagles failed to get the win. Right now, we may all be feeling icky. But, you have to remember, it was just a game! You also have to remember that it could be worse (as a fanbase, we have experienced two crushing Super Bowl losses in recent history. Ouch). We've been through worse. It's disappointing, sure, but we've seen losses. We know what it's like. Remember, adversity makes good teams even better.

I'm not here to make promises for the future, nor am I here to explain away all that went wrong. I am here today, instead, to maybe help you out.

Exercise is always a good way to get any icky and unwanted emotions out. If the weather is okay, take the time to go out for a walk. Fresh air will always do you a world of good.

Try not to talk about the loss, of course. Or do, it may be cathartic to get it out. Being in the company of others helps you work out your emotions about the disappointing loss.

The 76ers season is going on. The Flyers have hit the ice. Express your fandom for another team! It's not the same, I know. And you may fear yet another disappointment. But it's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. Sixers and Flyers play multiple games a week. Life goes on.

I personally shut the TV off as soon as the final second ticks off the clock. You don't want to see another team celebrate your team's loss, so don't. Avoid social media. There are far too many trolls who love to argue. Avoid national sports analysis TV shows. They're never on our side, anyway. Don't go looking for Eagles content on social media. Don't wallow in the bad vibes.

Make today your cheat day. Who cares? Food is yummy. Food makes things better. Fill that Eagles-loss-sized hole in your heart with a cheeseburger or some pasta. There's nothing wrong with treating yourself to something that makes you happy. Go ahead. Get the milkshake after dinner.

It's hard, right? But this is how we've felt before and will feel again. Losses happen! There will always be good times to balance out the bad. They have always happened and there are always more to come. They are a good team. We can't help but love them. They have amazing personalities and are dang good at what they do. Don't forget Super Bowl LII.