In the past, Brandon Graham explained, he was often the first Philadelphia Eagles player to arrive at the NovaCare Complex each morning. The defensive end said he checks in around 6 a.m. He likes to get his day off to an early start, watching film or working out before the sun comes up and other cars begin to zip around the roads in South Philly.

Things have been different lately, though.

Graham just can't seem to beat quarterbacks Carson Wentz and Chase Daniel to work. They arrive too early. It seems as if they're always there studying, Graham said.

So the veteran pass-rusher developed a high opinion of Wentz long before the rookie quarterback guided the Eagles to a 29-10 win over the Browns on Sunday in his debut by throwing two touchdowns, zero interceptions and a handful of eye-catching passes.

It's not that Wentz's performance didn't impress Graham. It's more that Graham expected it after noticing the No. 2 draft pick's work habits.

"I just like what I see," he said.

Graham was far from the only Eagles player to adopt that attitude about Wentz. After the win Sunday, players didn't seem to be in awe of the signal-caller's performance after he completed 22 of 37 passes for 278 yards and avoided any unsightly blemishes.

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Instead, many Eagles took on an "I told you so" type of response to Wentz's game.

"All he does is work his butt off," wide receiver Nelson Agholor said. "He believes that he is going to make plays and that's what happens."

Coach Doug Pederson said he wasn't surprised by Wentz's performance.

"This is who he is," Pederson said. "This is his DNA. ... He prepared like he was a five- or six-year veteran and obviously he played that way."

The Eagles' thrusted Wentz into the starting role just last week when they traded presumptive starter Sam Bradford to the Vikings in exchange for a 2017 first-round draft pick and a fourth-round selection in 2018.

Safety Malcolm Jenkins, among other veterans, said the move to deal Bradford and elevate a rookie into the team's most important role was concerning at first. Wentz's poise, though, helped calm any unsettled nerves, Jenkins said.

Offensive tackle Lane Johnson said he was especially impressed with Wentz's toughness. The 6-foot-5, 237-pound North Dakota State product took several jarring hits during Sunday's game but stood tall in the pocket time and again.

"He can handle it," Johnson said. "He's a big boy."

But like many of his teammates, Johnson didn't doubt Wentz much before Sunday. He first saw how confident and determined the 23-year-old was back in May, when the Eagles hit the field for organized team activities.

So Johnson said Sunday's performance didn't prove anything he didn't know about Wentz's talent. It simply reaffirmed that the red-haired gunslinger is in command of Philly's locker room.

"He took the team by the reins," Johnson said. "It's his team now."

-- @AaronKazreports