Zack Baun unnecessary roughness penalty: How Eagles LB's late flag led to suffering first loss of season

David Suggs

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Zack Baun unnecessary roughness penalty: How Eagles LB's late flag led to suffering first loss of season image

The Philadelphia Eagles suffered their first defeat of the season on Sunday, falling to the Denver Broncos, 21-17. One of their best players played a central role in the result -- albeit for all the wrong reasons.

Star linebacker Zack Baun emerged as one of the league's most dogged defenders in 2024, earning All-Pro honors as Philadelphia raced to its second-ever Super Bowl title.

Baun is a physical player known for his tough tackling and willingness to race across the field to bring ball-carriers to the ground. On Sunday afternoon, those traits failed him at the most inopportune of moments.

Here's what you need to know.

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Zack Baun unnecessary roughness penalty

Baun and the Eagles looked to have recorded a momentous third-down stop with 2:27 left after Andrew Mukuba corralled RJ Harvey one yard short of the line of scrimmage.

But shortly after Harvey fell to the canvas, Baun crashed into him. A flag was thrown on the play, with Baun being adjudged to have committed unnecessary roughness.

The call was contentious to say the least. While Mukuba had Harvey in his grasp, the Broncos tailback only surrendered himself right before Baun approached him.

Still, the officials' call was final. Not only did Denver move 15 yards closer to Philadelphia's end zone. But the Broncos were able to run an additional five plays. Philadelphia was forced to burn its final timeout as Will Lutz split the uprights from short-range to push the Broncos' advantage to four points.

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The Eagles huffed and puffed on their final drive, racing deep into Denver territory as the clock dwindled. But there was little Philadelphia could do, particularly after the referees opted against throwing a flag for defensive pass interference as Dallas Goedert attempted to snag an errant Jalen Hurts pass with nine seconds left in regulation.

The Eagles were handed their first defeat of the season after Hurts' throw to the corner of the end zone spurned A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Ultimately, they were left to rue their missed opportunities and ill-timed miscues. Few errors proved as pivotal as Baun's, an uncharacteristic mistake from one of the league's best linebackers.

David Suggs

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.