METAIRIE, La. -- New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham acknowledged the obvious Friday -- that his 2014 season didn't match the bar he has raised for himself.
"You know, a pretty good year for other people is a bad year for me," said Graham, who earned his third Pro Bowl invitation but still had a down year by his lofty standards -- especially down the stretch.
Graham said fighting through the shoulder injury he suffered in Week 5 was "a battle every game." But he added that everyone plays hurt and he's not going to make any excuses.
He acknowledged that, "Once you've been All-Pro, people guard you a little different, so you've gotta work a little harder to get open."
And Graham laughed when asked if missing the offseason because of his extended contract negotiations had any effect.
"Well, you know, it's been a long year," said Graham, who ultimately signed a four-year, $40 million deal in July. "But I haven't really had time to really sit back and evaluate the entire year itself. But I'll have that next week and for the next three months to really see kind of the beginning to the end of this year and to do whatever it takes not to repeat that.
"I'm gonna get it right in the end."
The missed time in the offseason seems like the least likely culprit, since Graham actually got off to a great start this year. He had 32 catches for 340 yards and three touchdowns through the first four games of the season.
The impact of the shoulder injury Graham suffered in Week 5 is also hard to gauge, since he went on another tear during a three-game stretch from Weeks 8-10, with 22 catches for 218 yards and four TDs.
But Graham's production really dropped off over the past four games. He had a career-high three drops in a 41-10 loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 14 and missed out on several tough-but-catchable passes during the first three quarters of last week's lackluster 30-14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
Graham said the injury continued to affect him "at times" without offering any specifics. And he said he'll have an MRI next week and review it with doctors to see if any surgery is required.
The one element with Graham's game that has consistently been missing in 2014 is the lack of downfield passes -- which has been a problem for the entire offense this year.
Graham's 79 catches and 10 touchdowns aren't too far from his standard. But his 835 receiving yards and 10.6 yards per catch are well below his career norms.
Saints coach Sean Payton said Graham's performance this year was one of a number of areas where the passing offense wasn't consistent enough -- and that they need to constantly find ways to adjust and put him in situations to be a playmaker.
When asked how defenses have changed their approach with him, Graham explained, "You know, there's always a safety over the top. Even on a lot of my double moves, I would get open on the immediate man-to-man, but even a middle-field safety would a lot of times cheat my way. And so that limits you on those big plays. But we'll see. I'm gonna take a look at everything and try to improve."