As the Eagles prep for Week 17, one name looms large at the center of Vic Fangio’s defense: Pro Bowl linebacker Zack Baun. Because this week, against a Buffalo Bills offense built on multiplicity, tempo, and physical stress points, Baun’s role is not merely important -- it is foundational.
Taking the layers back, Buffalo presents one of the league’s most demanding assignments for a second-level defender. Josh Allen’s ability to win both inside and outside the pocket forces linebackers to play disciplined, patient football while still triggering downhill with authority.
Add in James Cook, one of the NFL’s most explosive and versatile ball-carriers, and the stress compounds quickly as Cook’s vision and burst allow him to win inside the tackles with speed to the perimeter to punish over-aggressive fits.
How Zack Baun can impact the Eagles-Bills showdown in Week 17
For Baun, early downs are about balance: fitting gaps with precision while maintaining leverage to cut off cutback lanes and perimeter escapes.
It's where he's thrived all season -- his processing speed and downhill efficiency allow him to play fast without sacrificing control, he diagnoses blocking surfaces quickly, slips second-level traffic, and arrives with the kind of timing that limits yards after contact. Against Cook, Baun’s ability to close space laterally will be critical, particularly on zone concepts designed to stretch the defense horizontally before puncturing vertically.
Then there's the challenge ahead on passing downs.
Buffalo’s use of multiple tight end sets forces linebackers to cover ground in the middle of the field, often against layered route concepts designed to isolate coverage defenders. Baun's route recognition, fluidity in zone drops, and willingness to match tight ends in man coverage give Fangio flexibility to disguise pressures and rotate coverages behind him. Perhaps most importantly, Baun can also serve as the Eagles’ primary answer when plays break structure.
Read more: Nick Sirianni delivers final verdict on Eagles' starters playing against Bills
Allen thrives when defenses lose integrity, extending plays and attacking the fringe areas. Still, Baun’s range and closing speed will allow him to mirror Allen outside the pocket, limit scramble lanes, and finish in open space — a task few linebackers in football handle consistently.