Brandon Graham says Chiefs offensive linemen were 'blessed' with slippery turf in Super Bowl

Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham brought the Super Bowl turf conversation back to the forefront.

The Eagles’ elite pass rush last season was virtually non-existent against the Kansas City Chiefs. Philadelphia lost 38-35 in one of the more memorable Super Bowls over the last 20 years or so.

The turf was problematic for both sides, offense and defense and Philadelphia and Kansas City. But Graham spoke out about it once again.

“”You need that traction to be able to get off the block and we were slipping a lot,” Graham said in a recent interview on Sports Take with Derrick Gunn & Rob Ellis. “I don’t make excuses. I just know that that’s what was being talked about, us trying to get out of our own head a little bit, too … I’m telling you that O-line, they got blessed, I’ll say that.”

It goes for both teams. The Chiefs couldn’t really find their footing either. If the turf was much more playable, would it have changed the outcome?

That’s unknown. But the Eagles certainly believe they would’ve come out on top.

“When we looked at the film, man, it was a couple of times where it was if (Josh Sweat) don’t slip, boy, (there would’ve been a) strip sack,” Graham said. “Oh my God, especially that first drive when (Patrick Mahomes) threw it across the middle to (Travis) Kelce. He was right there. He slipped. We could not believe it.”

Eagles fans notoriously called out the poor playing surface, as well as the questionable defensive holding penalty on James Bradberryon the Chiefs’ winning drive, as reasons why Philadelphia lost.

Sure, Graham and the fans can chalk up those reasons as big ones why the Eagles didn’t hoist their second Lombardi Trophy in six years. But Philadelphia missed out on opportunities, such as a 10-point halftime lead, a costly Jalen Hurts fumble and settling for field goals rather than going for touchdowns.

Although, the Eagles tied the game at 35-35 in the end and had a few seconds to pull off a miracle down 38-35.

“When we finally looked at the film, I finally looked at it (and) was just like, ‘Man, oh man,'” Graham said. … “But you know, like I said, credit to Kansas City. It’s all love, you know what I’m saying. Them boys played too, they played on that surface too.”

Hurts and the Eagles are one of the favorites to get back to the Super Bowl, perhaps a rematch with the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.