Men At Work

PHILADELPHIA – Reminded of a conversation from back in September, Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean sported a wide grin Thursday night in a victorious postgame locker room before pausing.

The conversation centered on his vision of a gritty Eagles “junkyard” defense that embodied the mantra: “If we can’t walk, we gonna crawl. If we can’t crawl, we gonna f-ckin’ roll. If we can’t roll, we gonna bite at your ankles.”

Dean recalled the conversation and thought for a moment.

“We’re getting there,” he then said, recalling his team’s 26-18 win Thursday night to take a 1 1/2-game lead over the Commanders in the NFC East. “We’re getting there. I’m gonna put it like this … we up two scores, [the Commanders] come down, they score a touchdown and a two-point conversion at the end of the game and we were kind of mad about that, like, ‘F–k!’ Like, ‘What’s goin’ on?’

“But we knew we were playing soft. We knew the game was over. But still, we gotta goal where we don’t want other people to score – and they end up scoring – so, it was like, ‘Damn.’ But we know what we need to do to get better.”

GETTY IMAGES: Eagles LB Zack Baun and S CJ Gardner-Johnson (8) sandwich former Eagles RB Austin Ekeler in a Week 11 win vs. Washington.

Vic Fangio’s defense had held an upstart Commanders team to just 264 net yards while adding another turnover in addition to sacking rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels three times.

The resurgent unit had little margin for error for much of the game, with the offense mustering only six points until early into the fourth quarter.

There were also a pair of notable plays in critical spots that served as a reminder of not only the drastic transformation in a year’s time but more importantly the defense’s budding synchronicity, with all three levels operating in concert.

Early on, with the Commanders pinned deep in their own territory and facing 3rd-and-6, Daniels saw a crease and surged through the B-gap, with his sights set on the first-down marker.

His only roadblock was Dean, who in a brief open-field encounter shuffled his feet, broke down and secured the tackle, halting Daniels following a two-yard pickup and resulting a Washington punt.

“I knew I didn’t have no work,” Dean explained. “And then I seen [Daniels] step up in the B-gap and it was just me and him, and I knew I gotta make the tackle. I was hard on myself. I’m always hard on myself if I miss a tackle. We’re linebackers, we’re supposed to tackle. We’re supposed to make every tackle.

“So, being able to do that – we know he’s hard [to tackle] – but we gotta make it. We expected to make it. We get paid to make it.”

The other notable stop became a late-game turning point that  swung momentum in the Eagles’ favor. Down by two with a tick over eight minutes remaining in the game, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn elected to go for it on 4th-and-2 from the Eagles’ 26-yard line.

Daniels, who bobbled the snap, called his own number. Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter stormed through the interior to impede the timing before Daniels fielded it cleanly and dashed toward the right sideline.

Closing quickly with a full head of steam were safety Reed Blankenship and linebacker Zack Baun, with Baun closing off the angle and delivering a convincing lick to shut the play down and force a turnover on downs.

“I think our d-line did a really good job and got push up front,” Baun said. “I think he bobbled the snap a little bit, and we know he’s an elusive quarterback and he puts things into his own hands. And he went outside, and I chased him down.”

It shouldn’t be a surprise that the result of both big stops were a byproduct of inspired linebacker play from Dean and Baun, who have served as the glue to the defensive upswing, which began on the heels of the Eagles’ early bye week.

While neither player can yet be considered a household name, their play – and preeminent roles within Fangio’s defense –  should soon vault both into that territory.

Making it all the more remarkable is the scrutiny that both players were under entering the season.

The all-too-common preseason sentiment was that the pairing was a wildly presumptuous projection, an organizational pipe dream.

Influencing that school of thought was that Baun, prior to this season, had started only 14 games and offered minimal experience playing inside linebacker at the pro level.

Baun, the Eagles’ defensive MVP through 10 games, was such an unknown that Dean knew nothing about him prior to them joining forces in Philadelphia.

“I didn’t know nothing about Zack Baun until they were like, ‘The Eagles signed Zack Baun.’ That’s it,” Dean said. “I didn’t know nothing.”

Seated at a neighboring locker, Baun overhead Dean and responded: “I knew about you!”

As for Dean, the third-year linebacker had been written off by many, citing his bout with injuries and lack of prototypical size, along with suggesting he was ill-equipped to fulfill an every-down role.

What wasn’t taken into account was Fangio’s eye for talent as it pertains to identifying linebackers, which are always seeking intangibles as much as athletic ability.

It’s no coincidence that as the Eagles defense continues to climb, its linebacker play steadily elevates.

And Dean and Baun, now close friends, navigate the newness while honing in on communication.

“Ya’ll gotta realize, it’s me and his first time being the starting linebackers for the whole season,” Dean said. “So, we’re learning this together.”

What makes the defensive resurgence even more astounding is the absence of a marquee headliner who is the center piece of the opponent’s game plan.

Offenses must account for every Eagles defender and their abilities to impact the game.

The defensive line and pass-rush group, scrutinized entering into the season, is rounding into form thanks to contributions from Milton Williams as an interior pass rusher and Jordan Davis as a run-stuffer who eats space and keeps Dean and Baun clean and free to roam – contributions that aren’t always reflected on the stat sheet.

But perhaps no other player has made as seismic of an impact as Jalen Carter, the Eagles’ second-year defensive tackle.

While Carter continues to see a hike in snap share – he accounted for all 66 defensive snaps against the Commanders – his production has hasn’t waned.

Carter, who compiled seven tackles against Washington, is showing violence and power at the point of attack, with a knack for constant play disruption.

His footprint is resonating throughout the entire unit.

“I heard about Jalen Carter before I got here,” Baun said. “But it’s different to see it in person, and to play behind it is unreal. He doesn’t always pop out on the stat sheet, but he’s always making plays and knocking the o-line back, just so we can make plays. He’s doing a really good job, all the credit to him and J.D. and the guys up front.”

Beyond the contributions from the standouts, the unit has greatly benefitted from the its support staff, including defensive backs coach Christian Parker, linebackers coach Bobby King, cornerbacks coach Roy Anderson, defensive line coach Clint Hurtt and defensive end/outside linebackers coach Jeremiah Washburn, all of whom have overseen the development of the defense’s key, young components.

Unlike last season’s communication lapses and breakdowns stemming from a power struggle within the coaching staff, this year’s edition has the cohesion of a stream that flows in the same direction.

There’s also a collective buy-in, singular focus and lack of egos that have catalyzed what had been a unit in transition.

“I think it’s just belief,” defensive end Brandon Graham said. “You know how we started, 2-2. It was just – we were going through preseason. We were just kinda learning the new coordinators and how they call the game and what they expect from us.

“And I just felt like we had a good break at the right time. And guys just coming in and wanting to be better. And that’s every week, and we gotta make sure we stay focused on that.”

After the Giants game in Week 7, Dean mentioned his desire to establish a defensive identity embodying that of a “no-name defense,” one in which effort and attention to detail was the primary objective and one person can’t be highlighted.

It shouldn’t be a surprise then this identity mirrors the personality of its defensive leader, Baun, who was asked about winning NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors last week.

“It’s cool,” said Baun, sidestepping the spotlight. “It’s definitely an honor. Congratulations from my teammates. I’m glad it was on a short week, because as you guys probably know, I don’t like a lot of attention. So, it just kinda flew under the radar. I’m that kinda guy.”

– Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com.