Patrick Graham Explains Why He Took the First Loss to the Eagles This Year So Hard

"To see them fight so hard to get up that lead . . . as a coach, obviously I didn't get the right calls in there. I failed them."

Former Giants head coach Tom Coughlin always stressed that when the team won, it was because of the players, and when they lost, it was because the coaches failed them.

Well, current Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham never worked under Coughlin, but he certainly shares that belief.

Three weeks ago, after the loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, which came in the game's final five minutes, Graham was spotted sitting on the bench with his head in his hands after the game.

The reason? Graham was lamenting how he had let the team down.

"I consider myself a teacher first and foremost. So I happen to teach football and I think just like any teacher, whether you're a kindergarten teacher or a professor, you're trying to do your best job so these guys, your kids--not your kids, but your students--can learn and you want to see them have success," Graham said.

"So to see them fight so hard to get up that lead . . . as a coach, obviously I didn't get the right calls in there. I failed them. I was just disappointed in letting them down, personally. So in that moment of honesty, that's where I was at, and I'm like, 'We have to figure this out.'"

Graham's willingness to take the blame for that loss is admirable, but a certain degree of responsibility also has to be taken by the players if they don't execute the ideal call the way it's drawn up.

But Graham, who became somewhat reflective as he shared his thought process from that day, insisted it was all on him.

"I'm a teacher as a coach. I just felt bad that I let them down. And I got and had to figure out a way to make sure that they could taste success and get the reward of all their hard work because they're working really hard."

Since then, Graham and his Giants defense have been making strides and playing significantly better. They are coming off a winning effort against the Washington Football Team in which the run defense held Washington to a season-low 37 yards on the ground and produced four of the team's five turnovers.

And this week, Graham is not only looking forward to having another chance at the Eagles, but he's also hoping that this time, he delivers for his players.

"Not that the last game has anything to do with this week, but we got another shot at them and, you know, looking forward to the opportunity to go out there and compete against them," he said. "Hopefully we do enough to put ourselves in that position to gain the have a chance to win the game."