The Eagles walked into halftime with the edge over Washington, and the first half gave them a little bit of everything: early offensive rust, explosive plays once the rhythm arrived, and a defense that kept the Commanders from stringing together much through the air. Philadelphia held Washington to 3.7 yards per play and 126 yards in the opening half, while the special teams unit also chipped in with a strong showing.
The offense needed a minute to wake up, but once Jalen Hurts found his timing, the whole thing started humming. The first two drives went nowhere fast - 10 plays, 12 yards - before Hurts uncorked a 64-yard deep ball to Dontayvion Wicks that changed the feel of the game. Wicks’ first target went down as a drop, but he answered in a big way with the longest catch of his career, setting up Philadelphia’s first touchdown.
Hurts was sharp on that scoring march, going 2-of-2 for 81 yards and a touchdown for a perfect 158.3 passer rating. Through the first three possessions, he was 5-of-7 for 91 yards and a score, good for a 153.3 rating. He kept rolling from there, finishing the early stretch 8-of-13 for 113 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions with a 117.5 passer rating.
Wicks wasn’t done after the long grab. He later caught a 9-yard touchdown from Hurts to push the Eagles ahead 14-3, and he kept finding space on multiple routes as the passing game opened up around him. It was the kind of first half that can flip a receiver’s night in a hurry.
Saquon Barkley did his part, too. He ran nine times for 64 yards, and his biggest moment came on a 3rd-and-2 when he ripped off a 42-yard gain that helped set up the touchdown to Wicks. It was his lone first-down run of the half, but it was the kind that can swing everything.
A few other Eagles stood out on defense and special teams. Fresh off his contract extension, Davis was a problem in the A-gap right away, finishing with three tackles, including two solo stops that each came on no-gain runs.
Woolen made his presence felt in the secondary by staying with a deep shot to Stefon Diggs and nearly coming away with an interception on a throw over the middle. Baun took over on the Eagles’ fifth defensive possession, breaking up a pass intended for Diggs, then dropping Jacory Croskey-Merritt for a 7-yard loss on the next snap.
He added another pass breakup later in the second quarter on a ball meant for Noah Brown that nearly turned into a pick.
Braden Mann was also a difference-maker. He kept Washington backed up throughout the half, averaged 55.8 yards per punt and dropped three kicks inside the Commanders’ 20.
Not everything was clean, though. Jurgens opened his 2026 season with two holding penalties in the first quarter and had trouble at times with blitz pickup, especially against the Commanders’ A-gap pressure.
One of those holds got erased by Hurts’ 17-yard touchdown pass to Dallas Goedert, and Jurgens did settle in some in the second quarter. He also allowed a batted pass on 3rd-and-2 late in the half when Hurts had a receiver open.
Dickerson had a rougher first half as well, giving up a few easy pressures, including one on the Wicks touchdown. He had trouble recognizing his blocker in the A-gap and didn’t look like himself against pressure with more than four rushers.
Still, the big picture belonged to the Eagles: a slow start, then enough explosive offense, stout defense, and strong special teams to control the first half.
In Other News...
Eagles Fans Are Losing A Familiar Game Day Voice This Season
Ron Jaworski will be a familiar voice no longer on Eagles game days next season, after announcing he will not return to ESPN or NBC Sports Philadelphia for the 2026 NFL season. The former Eagles quarterback spent four years on the teams pregame and postgame shows, bringing the perspective and polish that come with a long broadcasting career built after his playing days.
Jaworski said the decision comes from a desire to spend more time with family, closing a run that stretched well beyond Philadelphia and into national NFL coverage. NBC Sports Philadelphia acknowledged his departure and praised what he brought to its coverage, leaving the Eagles broadcast setup facing a noticeable change as another season approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Suddenly Have A Very Different Week 4 Problem
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Philadelphia now has to redirect its attention toward the rest of a Rams defense that still has plenty of bite, with Aaron Donald looming as the obvious central concern. The Eagles game plan will look different without Garrett in the picture, and while the broad strategic adjustments are easy to imagine, the real question is how much this sudden shift alters what had been a very specific week of preparation. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Finally Showed Their Hand Behind Jalen Hurts
The Eagles spent the week keeping their backup quarterback plan under wraps, and on game day they finally revealed who would be behind Jalen Hurts. Andy Dalton will serve as the No. 2 quarterback against the Washington Commanders, a choice that had been intentionally left open as Nick Sirianni tried to preserve a competitive edge.
Dalton and Tanner McKee both worked as possible options throughout the week, so Philadelphia was able to keep Washington guessing until shortly before kickoff. It is a small detail in the larger game plan, but one that shows how carefully the Eagles are managing even the spots behind Hurts as they head into a divisional matchup. [Read more 🡒]