Eagles Notebook: Eagles' Graham proves effective in tight-end coverage

The Eagles unveiled a new, secret weapon last Sunday in their never-ending quest to cover opposing tight ends: Brandon Graham.

The first-round rookie defensive end confirmed yesterday that he had short-range responsibility on Atlanta's Tony Gonzalez "with help over the top." Gonzalez, targeted seven times, caught just three passes for 19 yards. Granted, two of them were for touchdowns, but as Graham noted, those were different coverages in which he was not involved.

Graham was tight on Gonzalez when the 10-time Pro Bowler could only manage to tip a pass headed his way, straight to Eagles corner Asante Samuel, who intercepted it to kill a second-quarter drive in the Eagles' 31-17 victory.

"Gonzalez was a short-intermediate guy, somebody who was going to run the five-and-out, five-and-in. You've just got to make sure you stay over top of him," Graham said. "I feel like I did a good job. There's always room for improvement."

On the pick, Graham said he knew Gonzalez was going to break to the outside, off the line.

"All the routes that they run with him [from that formation], he's going out," he said. "I should have jumped it, but I was scared."

Despite his film study, Graham was fearful, he said, that Gonzalez would somehow fake outside and go inside, and be wide-open, something that just couldn't happen, because "that's my guy." So he just stayed with Gonzalez, instead of guessing.

"Asante was right there, right behind me. I felt like I should have had it, but I didn't know where the ball was [after the tip]," Graham said.

King Dunlap said film showed pretty much what he felt in his first NFL start last Sunday, against Atlanta: that he played pretty well.

"I still have a lot of stuff I have to work on," said Dunlap, who is expected to start again this week at Tennessee, as regular left tackle Jason Peters recovers from knee surgery. Dunlap said his biggest challenge is what you would expect, for a 6-9, 330-pound offensive tackle. "Staying low. I'm so tall, I've got to keep my legs bent. Being low makes everything easier for me."

Dunlap, in his third season from Auburn but playing really for the first time, said he hasn't tried to talk to other super-tall o-linemen who have been successful, such as the Ravens' 11-time Pro Bowl tackle, 6-9 Jonathan Ogden. But he has watched their film.

"I've watched Ogden, Tra [Thomas, who is 6-7] was up there," he said. "Flozell Adams [also 6-7]. Marcus McNeill [6-8], I played in college with. I watch those guys to see how they do at staying low, and try to do the same thing . . . When I come to the line every time, I tell myself, 'Stay bent.' The rest takes care of itself," Dunlap said.

The Atlanta win was the first full game Dunlap had played since Auburn.

"It was fun," he said. "I was sore afterward. It was a good sore, though."

Among the Titans' pass rushers Dunlap might face this week is former Eagle Jason Babin. Dunlap said he wasn't shocked to hear Babin, who managed 2 1/2 sacks for the Eagles last year in limited duty, has six already for Tennessee.

"They play defensive line the way we try to play offensive line - physical, rough, mean," Dunlap said. "When he was here, he worked hard; every time I saw him, he was always picking Trent [Cole]'s brain."

Seemed kinda harsh, when attendees at Andy Reid's news conference thought they heard Reid call a question about the possibility of being 5-2 going into the bye "stupid." Turns out, some listeners contended, and the transcript confirmed, Reid said (or mumbled) that the question was "astute," not stupid. His intent did not seem sincere, so it was kind of the same thing, in the end.

The questioner seemed to be asking if Reid thought, given all the injuries the Eagles have suffered, 5-2 would be exceptional heading into the bye. Reid seemed to think he was being asked if 5-2 was the best the team could hope for from where it is now, which is 4-2.

Not practicing yesterday were DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy (ribs), Brodrick Bunkley (elbow) and Jason Peters (knee) . . . Jorrick Calvin said he has been told he will return punts this week but hasn't been told about kickoffs . . . Andy Reid is 5-6 the week before the bye, 11-0 the week after. Reid had lost six of seven going in before winning each of the last 2 years.