Eagles DE Sends Patrick Mahomes Warning to Teammates

Super Bowl LVII will pit an elite Eagles’ pass rush against Patrick Mahomes, widely regarded as the best player in the NFL. Brandon Graham knows that Philadelphia must try to put as much pressure on Mahomes as possible if the Eagles want a chance at slowing down the Chiefs’ star.

“You’ve got to take your shot. You can’t play scared,” Graham said, via Matt Lombardo of Heavy Sports. “You see when teams play that way, he carves you up. So, I’ll take my shot, and if he makes a play, well, he gets paid too.”

The Eagles’ ability to go after the quarterback may be their most valuable asset. Mahomes’ ability to avoid pressure may be limited. Mahomes will be only three weeks removed from sustaining a high ankle sprain on Super Bowl Sunday.

The Chiefs’ inability to protect Mahomes was emphasized in their Super Bowl defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers two years ago. For much of the game, Mahomes was on the move. In the defeat, the former Super Bowl MVP threw two interceptions and guided Kansas City to only nine points.

The Eagles had the most sacks in the NFL during the regular season, with 70. Philadelphia led the league with 15 sacks. Graham was one of three Eagles defenders with 11 sacks. In 17 games, Haason Reddick led Philadelphia with 16 sacks.

In a 38-7 divisional playoff triumph against the New York Giants, Philadelphia sacked Daniel Jones five times. Even though injuries to Brock Purdy and backup quarterback Josh Johnson hampered Philadelphia’s sack possibilities, the Eagles earned three more sacks against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.

The Chiefs’ defense must be alert and give their 100 percent just like they did against Cincinnati Bengals.