The Eagles got the win they wanted, but not the clean one they’ll feel good about. Philadelphia escaped with a 24-22 Week 1 victory over the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field, and it took a fourth-quarter goal-line stand to finish the job.
On the decisive two-point try, Jayden Daniels tried to hit Commanders tight end John Bates on a shovel pass, but Moro Ojomo blew through the line and dragged him down in the backfield. That stop preserved the Eagles’ lead after Daniels had just found Antonio Williams for a one-yard touchdown on the previous snap to pull Washington within two. The margin was razor-thin, and the Eagles were fortunate not to be dragged into overtime against a team that looked beatable on paper.
There was plenty to clean up on both sides of the ball, but one thing was clear: Jalen Hurts was not the issue.
Hurts steadied an offense that had too many rough edges, and he did it by attacking downfield and making plays when things broke down. His biggest escape came with 8:03 left in the fourth quarter, when he turned a third-and-18 into a 22-yard scramble to Washington’s 47-yard line. The play looked finished before Hurts spotted the lane and took off.
He was also behind every touchdown drive, including the final one, which ended with a 43-yard touchdown pass to Dallas Goedert. Earlier, Hurts uncorked a 64-yard deep ball to Dontayvion Wicks that set up his 17-yard touchdown pass to Goedert, and later he found Wicks again for a nine-yard score in the left corner of the end zone after Saquon Barkley powered the Eagles into the red zone with a 42-yard run.
Hurts finished 14 of 25 for 203 yards and three touchdowns, and for one day he gave his critics little to cling to. According to a Reddit poll from this spring, he is the most hated player in the NFL among fans.
The bigger problem for Philadelphia was the line in front of him. The Eagles opened fast with two first-half touchdown drives, but the second half brought back a familiar mess. Washington’s front took over, Philadelphia opened the third quarter with three straight punts, and one of those drives ended with rookie linebacker Sonny Styles driving Hurts into the turf for a sack.
Right guard Landon Dickerson had a rough day and was at the center of several stalled possessions. He was beaten by Javon Kinlaw for a two-yard loss on the Eagles’ first touchdown drive, then picked up a 10-yard holding penalty on a later scoring series after being beaten off the snap. Cam Jurgens was flagged twice for holding in the first half, and Tyler Steen had his own issues while Washington mixed in pressure and blitzes.
Dickerson, once one of the best left guards in the league, now looks like a major concern heading into Week 2. The source of the problem is clear enough: if he keeps playing like this, the Eagles may have to bench him.
Philadelphia also had issues in the middle of its defense, where Washington found room too often. Cooper DeJean, usually a tough cover from the slot, was targeted repeatedly. Steffon Diggs beat him for 15 yards on Washington’s first touchdown drive, and Antonio Williams later slipped inside him for a 16-yard catch at the Eagles’ 1 before Croskey-Merritt finished the series with a one-yard touchdown run.
DeJean was also called for illegal contact on Diggs in the third quarter, extending a Washington drive that ended with rookie kicker Drew Stevens missing a 54-yard field goal. On that same possession, Chigoziem Okonkwo found space over the middle for a 15-yard gain against Drew Mukuba.
Diggs struck again in the fourth quarter, getting behind DeJean for a wide-open 10-yard touchdown that made it 17-16. Washington’s two-point attempt after that failed because Diggs jumped on the goal post during the celebration, forcing the Commanders to settle for the extra point.
DeJean has earned enough trust that one rough outing doesn’t change the bigger picture, but the Eagles will want a sharper response next week against the Titans. Another game like this would be a different story.
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Eagles Finally Showed Their Hand Behind Jalen Hurts
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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 🡒]