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Eagles film breakdown: LBs Zack Baun and Jihaad Campbell are big, smart, versatile, athletic freaks

In the wake of the Philadelphia Eagles' 24-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys, I was eager to get a look at the film to see Zack Baun and Jihaad Campbell working together, especially since we didn't often get that opportunity during training camp, as Baun missed most of the summer with a back contusion. The results were fun, as Baun and Campbell are a pair of big, versatile, smart, athletic freaks with the potential of being the best linebacker duo in the NFL.

I'm just going to post video of stuff I liked from those two guys from this game, in chronological order. We all know that Baun is 53, and Campbell is 30, right? Cool. Here we go:

• The Cowboys run a jet sweep to speedster KaVontae Turpin. Baun reacts quickly, gets there quickly, and makes the play.

• This is actually an 18 yard completion to CeeDee Lamb, but I love what I see from Baun on this play. He has eyes on Dak Prescott, but instinctively knows that Lamb is running across the field behind him. He continues to flow with Lamb, taking quick peeks back at him, and puts himself in a position to make an INT. Lamb just makes an incredibly athletic play himself, jumping in front of Baun for a completion.

I know the result of the above play isn't ideal, but I love almost everything about the way Baun played it.

• Baun reads this check down to Miles Sanders, gets there in a hurry, and makes a tackle for a 3 yard loss as Sanders is making the catch.

• The Cowboys are trying to get Campbell to chase this play action look from the backside and leave 87, but he reads the fake, stays with 87, and Dak throws incomplete to another receiver down the field.

• Nice job by Baun making his way through the trash to find the ball carrier and make a nice tackle. I also like this technique from Campbell, who negates a Tyler Smith (73) block, ripping his right arm under Smith's arm, and positioning himself in between Smith and the ball carrier. I'll assume he was taught this technique by Bobby King and the Eagles' staff.

• 🚨🚨🚨 The Cowboys are trying a seam shot to 89. Campbell sees it; turns and runs; waits for 89 to show his hands for when the ball is coming in, and gets his hands up in front of them for the PBU. Outstanding.

"Once they motioned from 2-by-2 to 3-by-1, I have him vertical, and I took him," Campbell said. "As Coach Vic says, 'Don't panic.' When you're in coverage, don't be swatting at the ball. Just stay calm and that's what I did."

Baun was impressed by that play, but not surprised.

"The dude is a freak athlete," Baun said. "He can cover some ground in the run game, in coverage. No surprise to me."

• 🚨🚨🚨 This play won't go on Campbell's highlight reel, but Baun is able to chase down Miles Sanders, and he's so much faster than Sanders that he tries two punches at the football before deciding, "OK, I guess I should just tackle him now."

"That was our message all week, relentless effort," Nick Sirianni said. "Zack had our team’s back right there. I mean that’s a seven-point tackle, really at the end of the day, is what it is, because then a couple plays go by and we force the fumble after that."

Obviously, this is a negative play overall for the Eagles, but it also underscores Baun's hustle and speed. He hit 20.68 MPH on this play, according to NFL's NextGen Stats.

"He does that in practice," Campbell said of Baun. "Run to the ball. Even if the whistle is blown, and the running back, Saquon, is running all the way down the field, Zack is still chasing him down just to get that conditioning, just to get that muscle memory in his brain. That's something that I admire of what he does in his game."

• 🚨🚨🚨 Baun doesn't bite on the double move. He then turns and runs with 87, and like Campbell above, waits for 87 to show his hands and then gets his hands in the way of the throw for a PBU. (The ball actually hits him in the shoulder.)

"That's something I really worked on in the offseason," Baun said. "I had a couple of those opportunities. For a linebacker, it's few and far between that we're carrying receivers, tight ends and running backs down the field like that, and last year that was a part of my game that I thought I needed to get better at. I did that and it was cool to showcase it in a game.

"I have to be in position to make the play first, and then watch his eyes, and when his hands go up play through his hands."

• This is a bad throw by Dak, maybe on purpose (?), because Campbell is all over this checkdown to the back.

• 🚨🚨🚨 Campbell combines with Byron Young to punch the ball out of Sanders' hands. Biggest play of the game.

"I told Jihaad before the game that if he made some plays he can wear white laces in his cleats, and he gets them," Baun said.

• Baun gets free on a blitz, Campbell is there to clean up with Mukuba after a Quinyon missed tackle.

• I kinda love this play from Baun. The Eagles are in zone coverage, and Baun disrupts 86's route. He then backpedals into where that route is going to end up and gets in on the PBU.