Terry McLaurin didn’t hide the frustration after Washington opened 2026 with a loss to Philadelphia, but the Commanders wideout also made it clear where he thinks the offense can build from moving forward.
McLaurin, entering his ninth NFL season and still wearing Washington colors, pointed to the kind of rhythm the Commanders found on a 12-play, 67-yard drive just before halftime. That stretch, he said, showed what this group can do when it strings together plays and keeps the chains moving.
“You see how we have success when we sustain drives,” McLaurin said. “Before the half, we got into a little tempo, able to move the chains, sustain a second-and-long, third-and-long and converting in situations where we have to.
Staying on the field. I think that’s going to be one of our key points for the next week.”
The loss also featured a costly mistake that stood out to McLaurin. When Stefon Diggs jumped on the goalpost after scoring and drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty, Washington was left dealing with a drive-killing flag that may have swung the game.
“It happened. He scored.
He was excited. We had a flag,” McLaurin said about the penalty.
“So, at the end of the day, it’s a tough break.”
Washington’s division picture already looks tight after Week 1. With Philadelphia and the New York Giants both winning their openers, the Commanders are tied with Dallas at the bottom of the NFC East heading into next week’s matchup with the Cowboys. The stakes are obvious: the loser drops to 0-2 and would face a steep climb in the division race.
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Terry McLaurin's Quiet Opener Has Commanders Fans Watching One Problem
Terry McLaurins Week 1 line was a quiet one by his standards, with just two catches for 14 yards in Washingtons loss to the Eagles, and it immediately put a familiar question back on the table for the Commanders. When defenses spend extra attention on McLaurin, the rest of the passing game has to do more than simply hope he gets loose a few times.
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Stefon Diggs Faced A Defining Commanders Moment After Eagles Mistake
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Diggs addressed his teammates directly and took responsibility for the mistake, speaking candidly about what it meant to him and his role in the room. The follow-up was the important part for Washington, because the way a veteran handles a miscue can say plenty about the culture a team is trying to build, and this one was framed as a step toward accountability rather than avoidance. [Read more 🡒]