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In Philadelphia’s 24-22 season-opening victory over the Washington Commanders, Pro Football Focus (PFF) graded Zack Baun (90.6) and Dallas Goedert (81.1) as the Eagles’ top performers. Let’s take a look at what made these two stand out from the crowd.
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Baun Picks Up Where He Left Off
Baun was targeted six times in coverage against Washington, allowing just three catches for negative two yards, just the second time since the start of last season a defender faced 5+ targets in a game and allowed negative receiving yds.
In the second quarter, Baun single-handedly shut down a Commanders drive, first with a pass breakup over the middle and then with a massive tackle-for-loss. Baun led the game with 12 tackles and four run stops, to pair alongside his two pass breakups. He consistently sniffed out plays and was always around the ball.
The defense wasn’t perfect, which Baun attributed to facing a team with a new coordinator and no true scout package to anticipate situational play-calling tendencies.
“First game comes with a lot of unknowns, especially with a new coordinator, you don’t necessarily know what they’re going to run, and it comes down to fundamentals and techniques. There were good things and bad things.”
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Baun was not only the highest-graded player in the Eagles game, but the highest-graded linebacker across the NFL in Week 1. Named an All-Pro and Defensive Player of the Year finalist in 2024, followed by a second-straight Pro Bowl selection, Baun has proven to be the best linebacker in the NFL, combining elite production with proven durability on the field.
Goedert Remains a Reliable Weapon
Goedert’s stat line of four receptions, 77 yards, and two touchdowns led all players in every category. On his second score of the game, Goedert noted that he stepped into the role that was previously occupied by A.J. Brown.
“The second one, it seemed like that was a route AJ ran a lot last year. I got it a time or two but never like that. But all those routes, we’ve got a lot of time on task. The chemistry with me and Jalen, it seemed like we picked up where we left off.”
In a brand-new offensive system with a retooled wide receiver room, Goedert remains a reliable target all over the field. The connection between Goedert and Hurts has been especially lethal since the start of last season, with the South Dakota State product scoring 14 receiving touchdowns over his last 16 games (including postseason).
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This story was originally published September 14, 2026 at 1:30 PM.