PHILADELPHIA — Good morning, Eagles fans. Or good afternoon or good evening, depending on when you’re reading this. Welcome to PennLive’s new Eagles column, “McGonigal Morning Quarterback,” where I’ll dive deep on one big-picture thought from the most recent game.
Now, I have to start by giving my colleague Bob Flounders credit for coming up with the name. I also have to blame a lightning delay and a late night covering all angles of Jalen Carter’s “SpitGate” for why this wasn’t posted the day after the Eagles beat the Cowboys in Thursday’s season opener. But that’s OK. We’re here now.
Moving forward, Eagles fans can expect this column to run the day after every game. I was in the Lincoln Financial Field press box for the Eagles’ 24-20 win over the Cowboys. I was in the postgame locker room. And that will be the case all year, plus multiple away games.
Now that the intro is done, let’s get to my biggest takeaway from Thursday: Zack Baun and Jihaad Campbell have what it takes to be the best linebacker duo in the NFL.
We saw that unfold on one drive.
The Eagles desperately needed a stop. After Dallas scored on four straight drives to open the game, Vic Fangio’s unit had to stop the bleeding. That’s where Campbell and Baun came in.
We’ll start with Campbell. If you polled the Eagles beat back in July, most would be surprised that the first-round rookie out of Alabama started the opener, let alone shining. Campbell fell to the Eagles at No. 31 overall in the draft due in large part to a torn labrum suffered in March. The first-team All-SEC defender needed surgery, and it was uncertain when he would return.
But Campbell started the summer fast. He was cleared to practice at the beginning of training camp and flashed the athleticism that made Howie Roseman and the Eagles’ scouting department fall in love with him. That athleticism was on full display Thursday.
That’s Campbell, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound linebacker, tracking back 30 yards in tight coverage and breaking up a Dak Prescott pass to tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford. Prescott’s head fake and throw down the seam didn’t fool Campbell whatsoever.
“Once they motioned from 2x2 to 2x1, I had him vertical and took him,” Campbell said. “As Coach Vic says, ‘Don’t panic when you’re in coverage and you’re swatting the ball. Just stay calm.’ And that’s what I do.”
That’s what Campbell does. It’s not what most linebackers do. It’s not what most rookies do. The Cowboys probably thought they could trick No. 30 in his NFL debut. Instead, Campbell — Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded defender in the game — did his job.
On the next play, Baun did the same. Miles Sanders found a crease and burst ahead of the Eagles’ defense. As the play unfolded, it looked like the former Penn State and Eagles running back would coast into the end zone for a long touchdown in his return to Philly. But Baun came out of nowhere, chasing Sanders down and tackling him at the 11-yard line.
“I mean, that’s a seven-point tackle,” Nick Sirianni said postgame.
On that play, Baun reached a top speed of 20.68 miles per hour, per NFL Next Gen stats. You read that correctly. A 6-foot-3, 225-pound linebacker went 20.68 miles per hour. That’s part of the reason why Baun was an All-Pro last year. That’s why he was an integral part of the Eagles’ Super Bowl run. He’s ultra-athletic, and he never gives up on the play.
“He does it in practice,” Campbell said. “I didn’t expect nothing less in a game.”
But Baun and Campbell weren’t done. Two plays after catching Sanders, Baun had a PBU on an end-zone seam route to tight end Jake Ferguson. A couple plays after that, Campbell and Byron Young combined to strip Sanders for a fumble recovered by Quinyon Mitchell.
Campbell and Baun were everywhere. And the scary thing for everyone else in the NFL? This has the makings of a long-term partnership. Baun signed a lucrative three-year deal after his 2024 All-Pro season. Eagles have Campbell under contract through 2029 if they want.
The Eagles’ present and future are bright at linebacker. Thursday proved that.
Dallas Cowboys ex-head coach rips social media rumor started by ‘sick and cruel person’Sep. 6, 2025, 5:00a.m.
Eagles sign a three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher. How will it impact rotation?Sep. 5, 2025, 4:56p.m.
Eagles add another former Alabama WR, release 2025 draft pickSep. 5, 2025, 1:13p.m.
Eagles WR, former Penn State star shines vs. CowboysSep. 5, 2025, 11:32a.m.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.