For five minutes, Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis stood at his locker answering questions. But none hit a subject he knew would come up. Finally, he was asked about his pending on-field reunion with Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham.
"There won't be any love lost, I can guarantee you that," Davis said.
Yeah, those two haven't been BFF's over the years.
"They don't like each other," coach Ron Rivera said.
Before he was traded to Seattle this offseason, Graham was a thorn in the Panthers' side with the Saints. In 10 games against Carolina, including seven that featured Davis, Graham racked up 56 receptions, 700 yards and eight scores. So as good as Davis has been over the years, Graham has often had the upper hand when they've gone head-to-head.
"You talk about great competition, two guys competing against one another, it's a lot of fun to watch," Rivera said. "There have been times when Jimmy's gotten the best of TD and TD's gotten the best of him.
"That's the fun thing about being able to compete against good players is you really want to elevate your game, and those two guys are good for each other when they compete against one another."
But Davis has faced plenty of good competition in his 10-year career. More than a professional thing, perhaps it's also personal. Maybe Graham disrespected Davis?
"Nope, never. He's just another player in the league that we have to face and he's one of the best doing it, so you want to play your A-game against him," Davis said. "He's been to the Pro Bowl a bunch of times and he's had a lot of success against a lot of people, including us."
Just last October, Graham caught seven passes for 83 yards and a touchdown in a Saints' win in Charlotte. That night also featured this hit by Davis on a pass that was intercepted:
Thomas Davis DRILLS Jimmy Graham! #Panthers #Saints #TNF https://t.co/DiqOTzPbmB
— Windy City iGGY (@windycityiggy) October 31, 2014
Even though he wasn't penalized, Davis was fined $16,537 for unnecessarily striking an opponent away from the play. An appeal earned him some money back, but, "I'm still miffed about those fines cause it was a hit directly to his face, it wasn't a cheap shot."
If that wasn't, was this?
“I think Drew Brees makes Jimmy Graham a different player."
That comment from Davis could be seen as a #shotsfired moment, but he's not necessarily wrong.
"If you look at the numbers, I don’t think he’s ever had a start this slow production-wise."
Not including Graham's rookie year in 2010, Davis is right:
| Through 5 Games | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 32 | 496 | 3 |
| 2012 | 25 | 252 | 3 |
| 2013 | 37 | 593 | 6 |
| 2014 | 34 | 376 | 3 |
| 2015 | 21 | 204 | 2 |
Graham certainly hasn't made a big splash in Seattle, but that likely has more to do with who's around him.
"They’re doing a good job of spreading the ball out," Davis said. "I know it’s one of those things where he wants the ball more, but it has to come within in the offense. Russell does a great job of getting the ball to his playmakers."
Graham's numbers also may be down because of a Seahawks' offensive line that's given up a league-worst 22 sacks. Often, after he's been asked to help chip at the line, he's getting into his pattern too late.
But Graham is just 26 and in his sixth season. Even if Brees was a big boost, it's unlikely Graham has suddenly lost the talent that earned him three trips to the Pro Bowl. Seattle could soon find it. The Panthers hope it's not this week.
"I think they're still learning each other," Rivera said. "My concern is he starts to assimilate to what they do and fits it, and all of a sudden you're going to see him blow up and make plays again."
For what it's worth, the last time the Panthers played Graham, he caught just three passes for 25 yards in December during his worst game in the Saints' series since his rookie year. There's no question that day meant more to Davis than just a 41-10 win. Because even if there are reasons he won't share publicly, there's something about this matchup that means more than others.
"It's just Jimmy Graham. He's one of the best tight ends in this league and it's a true test for our defense," Davis said. "For us as linebackers, we welcome that challenge of covering one of the best in the league. And I think we'll be up to that challenge."