The Eagles opened the season by surviving a frantic finish and stretching a familiar streak in the process.
Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts each picked up their sixth straight win in an opener, and Philadelphia held on for a 24-22 victory over the Washington Commanders on Sunday. The game had plenty of swing, but the Eagles did enough early and then just enough late to get to 1-0.
Hurts delivered the kind of all-purpose day that has become his calling card. He went 14 of 25 for 203 yards with three touchdown passes, added 48 rushing yards, and kept finding answers when Washington started closing the gap.
Dallas Goedert was his favorite finishing touch, catching four passes for 77 yards and two scores. Saquon Barkley handled 15 carries for 83 yards.
Washington made things uncomfortable in the fourth quarter, and Jayden Daniels was at the center of it. He finished 18 of 34 for 164 yards and threw two touchdowns in the final period, nearly dragging the Commanders all the way back from a 24-16 deficit.
The last surge came with 2:04 left. Facing fourth-and-2 just outside the Eagles’ 10, Daniels hit Terry McLaurin for his second catch of the drive, a 6-yard gain that moved Washington to first-and-goal. After the two-minute warning, the Commanders came back out in a two-tight end look with rookie Kaytron Allen behind Daniels, but they still had work to do from close range.
On third down, Washington spread the field with four wideouts and Daniels went quickly to rookie Antonio Williams on a short out. Williams secured the low throw with both hands as the ball hit the turf, but officials ruled it a touchdown. Replay confirmed the call, trimming the Eagles’ lead to 24-22.
Philadelphia snuffed out the two-point attempt. Moro Ojomo was sitting on an inside shovel pass to John Bates and stopped him at the line. Then DeVonta Smith recovered the onside kick, and the Eagles were able to close it out in victory formation.
The Eagles didn’t exactly impose their will on the ground. Their run game never found steady push, and Philadelphia punted on four straight possessions before Hurts finally broke the rhythm with a big throw.
On a one-on-one look, he connected with Smith on a stutter-and-go, and Smith got behind Rasul Douglas for a 31-yard gain, toe-tapping his way to the catch. That drive ended with Jake Elliott’s 35-yard field goal, pushing the lead to 17-9.
Philadelphia also found ways to bother Daniels without blitzing. He slipped away a few times, but Jihaad Campbell eventually recorded the Eagles’ first sack in the fourth quarter.
Daniels answered that pressure with one of his best stretches of the day. He ran twice and then hit Williams for 33 yards, one of Williams’ two Washington plays of more than 15 yards.
That set the Commanders up at the Philadelphia 10. From a stacked trips-left formation, Daniels looked left and found Stefon Diggs isolated on Cooper DeJean.
Diggs cut diagonally in front of DeJean and caught Daniels’ throw for a touchdown. Washington went for the extra point after Diggs was flagged for his celebration, and the Commanders were within 17-16.
Hurts had his own response waiting, and he delivered it while the boos grew louder after an incompletion left Philadelphia in third-and-18 at its own 31. With the pocket collapsing, he stepped up and sprinted for 22 yards and a first down. Two plays later, on third-and-6, he dumped a short pass to Goedert, who turned upfield and raced untouched for a 43-yard touchdown.
Philadelphia’s Dontayvion Wicks also made his mark with two catches for 73 yards, including a 9-yard touchdown in the first half.
For Washington, the injury note came at tight end. Chig Okonkwo left at the end of the third quarter with a hamstring issue and did not return after catching two passes for 16 yards.
In Other News...
Eagles Lose Expected Week 1 Option Right Before Commanders Opener
The Eagles will be without a rookie tight end they had expected to have available for their Week 1 meeting with the Commanders after placing Eli Stowers on injured reserve because of quadriceps and hamstring injuries. Stowers had been on track to dress for the opener, but imaging later showed the added quadriceps issue, changing the outlook for Philadelphias opening-week plans.
For Washington, it removes one more wrinkle from a division matchup already packed with early-season intrigue. Stowers now has to sit out at least four weeks, which means the earliest he can rejoin the Eagles is Week 5 against the Jaguars in London, leaving Philadelphia to sort out its tight end rotation without a player it had counted on for the opener. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Last Eagles Win Still Fuels A Brutal Draft Debate
The Commanders 24-17 win over the Eagles in the Week 18 season finale still carries a ripple effect far beyond the final score. Josh Johnsons late touchdown helped close out a rare victory over Philadelphia, and Chris Rodriguez and Jeremy Reaves played key roles in a game that looked meaningful in the moment and even more consequential once the standings settled.
Washington moved from the No. 5 overall pick to No. 7 because of that result, which is why the debate has lingered. A late-season win over a division rival is the kind of moment a team wants to celebrate, but it also came with a price in draft position, leaving the Commanders to weigh the satisfaction of beating the Eagles against the long view of where they now sit in April. [Read more 🡒]
Jayden Daniels Looms Over Washingtons Biggest Week 1 Fantasy Decision
Washingtons 2026 opener in Philadelphia comes with one of those early-season fantasy calls that can shape a week before it even begins. Jayden Daniels is expected back after the elbow injury that clouded his availability, and his return changes the entire outlook for a Commanders offense that now also has Stefon Diggs in the mix after his recent signing. The matchup alone makes this one of the more watched games on the Week 1 slate, but the real intrigue is how quickly Washington can get its pieces in sync on the road against the Eagles.
Diggs gives the Commanders another proven pass-catching option, though there may be some adjustment time as he settles into the offense and learns where the targets will come from early on. For fantasy managers, that creates a tricky balance between ceiling and certainty, especially with Daniels presence likely to affect how the passing game is distributed. It is the kind of opening-week decision that can feel simple in theory and messy in practice, with Washington offering enough name value to tempt starters but enough uncertainty to make some managers think twice. [Read more 🡒]