The farther he gets away from a shoulder injury he suffered Week 5, the more Saints tight end Jimmy Graham is starting to round into his All-Pro form. After a slow start Sunday against the Packers, Graham had a strong second half to finish with five catches for 59 yards and one touchdown in a 44-23 win.
Though, Graham admitted after Sunday's game it's going to take some work to get ready for the quick turnaround for Thursday's game against the Panthers.
"(Monday’s) gonna be pretty rough for me, I already know. But I’ll take the next 48 hours, that’s really what’s most important, trying to get the swelling and what-not down and try to get ready on Thursday," Graham said, per ESPN. "I’ll pretty much live in the treatment room, and I’ll be hooked up to all kinds of stuff while I sleep."
Graham didn't have a catch in the first half Sunday, extending his streak without a reception to six quarters. However, Graham said he didn't get frustrated with the lack of stats.
"(Coach) Sean (Payton) always tells me, 'Hey, be patient. You know, at a big moment, when it matters, we’re gonna come your way. And we’re gonna come your way big,'" Graham said. "So he’s telling me that all through the first half, and he goes through some plays and says, 'Hey listen, it’s your time.' So when you have a head coach that does that for you and you have an offensive coordinator that does that for you -- and Pete Carmichael came up to me and said the same thing -- its buckle your chin strap, because it’s coming your way."