The Eagles escaped Week 1 with a 24-22 win over the Washington Commanders, and a huge part of that result came from the middle of the defense. Zack Baun and Jihaad Campbell were everywhere, stacking up stops, blowing up plays, and making life miserable for Washington all afternoon.
Baun was the headline act. He finished with a team-high 12 tackles, added two pass breakups and a tackle for loss, and kept showing up whenever the Commanders tried to work the ball his way.
That tackle for loss came in the second quarter, when he shot in on a Daniels screen and dropped Jacory Croskey-Merritt for a seven-yard loss. He also came close to a pick when he got a hand on a pass for Stefon Diggs, and then delivered his biggest coverage play late in regulation by tipping away a Daniels throw that was headed for tight end John Bates in the end zone.
Washington kept challenging him, but Baun kept winning those reps. According to Next Gen Stats, he was targeted six times in coverage and allowed only three catches for minus-2 yards. That made him just the second player, along with Denzel Ward, since the start of last season to allow negative yards on five or more targets.
Campbell matched the energy beside him. In his first Week 1 start, he flashed the range and athleticism that made him a first-round pick for Howie Roseman last year.
He collected nine tackles and notched the first sack of the season for Philadelphia’s defense, taking down Daniels early in the fourth quarter. Campbell also added two pressures, even if there were a few coverage mistakes that still need cleaning up.
Still, the overall picture was clear: Philadelphia got a forceful showing from its new inside-linebacker pairing. Baun remains the steady captain and enforcer this defense leans on, and Campbell stepped into a major role with a performance that looked plenty sturdy. Nakobe Dean’s old spot is in new hands now, and for the moment, that duo is handling it well.
There’s more depth behind them, too. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is waiting in the wings, and Smael Mondon Jr. turned in a strong summer, giving this linebacker group even more strength.
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Eagles Bring Back A Familiar Specialist As Offensive Line Concern Grows
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