Spotlight Keeps Finding "Reserved" Eagles Linebacker After Another Critical Play

The offseason addition says he likes staying home with his wife and baby.

Nov 14, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) is chased by Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun (53) and safety Reed Blankenship (32) during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA – Zack Baun admits the spotlight makes him squint. The Eagles linebacker better get used to it, though. If he keeps making plays the way he did in the first 10 games, the glare will only get brighter.

“I’m a pretty reserved guy,” he said. “I like to stay at home and be with my wife and my baby and I honestly never expected to be here in this position. I’m just doing what I’m supposed to do.”

Baun walloped Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels on a fourth-and-two sweep to the right side to preserve a two-point lead in the fourth quarter of what would become the Eagles sixth straight win, a 26-18 defeated of Washington in a first-place battle within the NFC East on Thursday night.

“That was huge,” said head coach Nick Sirianni of the game-defining play. “That’s huge. That’s a turnover in our eyes. It looked look they had something with the snap. I didn’t see exactly what happened.”

Here’s what happened. Daniels bobbled the snap then took off running to his right. Baun wasn’t having any of it. Neither was safety Reed Blankenship, who was on the other side of the line of scrimmage creating traffic, and nipping at the QB's heels. Baun cleaned it up, crashing into Daniels and knocking him out of bounds.

“It went outside and I chased him down,” said Baun. “We have an idea through film study and what types of plays they like, but at the end of the day you don’t really know.”

The Eagles’ offense took charge from there. Baun’s turnover on downs led to an 11-play drive that ended with Barkley going 23 yards for a touchdown to make it 19-10.

On the next play after Washington got the ball back, Blankenship made his third interception. On the second play after that, and just 20 seconds after he went 23 yards, Barkley ripped off a 39-yard TD run to make it 26-10. Game, set, match, Eagles.

Baun has been diagnosing plays all season long. The reigning NFC Defensive Player of the Week may go back-to-back with that award after 14 tackles and a game-defining play.

“I call Zack Baun the tone setter in that group, that linebacker group, in general,” said QB Jalen Hurts. “But Zack Baun, how he’s been able to come here, be a part of this team, take leadership in his role, and his actions do a lot of talking for him.

“That’s something that I respect a lot. And just to see how he shows up, how the physicality he plays with, how he flies to the ball, I think it’s a great fit for this city and obviously, this defensive scheme.”

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