The Washington Commanders lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 24-22 in the season opener Sunday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field.
Washington got on the board first with a field goal on their opening drive, going eight plays for 27 yards, which was set up by a 33-yard return on the opening kickoff. The Commanders maintained that 3-0 lead until the Eagles scored a touchdown in the second quarter for the first touchdown of the game.
They scored another touchdown later in the quarter to make it 14-3 before Washington got their first touchdown of the game on a 12-play, 67-yard drive capped off by a one-yard touchdown run from running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt. The extra point was blocked, making the score 14-9 going into halftime.
In the third quarter,
kicker Drew Stevens missed a 54-yard field goal that would have made it a two-point game. Philadelphia made a 35-yard field goal just before the end of the quarter to make it 17-9. On Washington’s next drive, they scored a 10-yard touchdown and kicked the extra point instead of going for two to cut the Eagles’ lead to 17-16.
Philadelphia responded with another touchdown to get the lead back to an eight-point spread at 24-16, but Washington got another touchdown of their own with one minute left in the game. They went for the two-point conversion, and while the pass was complete, it was short of the end zone, and the conversion failed, leaving the score at 24-22 in favor of the Eagles. The Commanders had an unsuccessful onside kick attempt, and the Eagles ended the game with two kneel-downs from quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels started to look like himself after having an injury-riddled season in 2025. He finished the game completing 18 of 34 pass attempts for 164 yards and two touchdowns. Croskey-Merritt led the Commanders in rushing yards with 63 yards and an average of 3.9 yards per carry.
Instant analysis of the Commanders’ season-opening loss to the Eagles:
Final Score: Eagles 24, Commanders 22
Play of the game
Jayden Daniels putting on a show 🤩
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 13, 2026
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/dCO283m5Zy
This may not have earned any points, but Jayden Daniels’ run showed Commanders fans their quarterback is back to 2024 form. Washington would end up scoring on this drive because of this run as well as a 33-yard completion to rookie receiver Antonio Williams on third down near midfield.
Numbers to know
- 3/3: The Commanders were 3/3 on their red zone trips. Washington finished last season as one of the best teams in the red zone in the NFL and continued that trend in the opener. However, they still struggled defensively in the red zone, allowing the Eagles to score on two of their three red zone trips.
- 33:20: Washington had the ball for 33 minutes and 20 seconds, winning the time of possession battle. Most of the time, when you win the time-of-possession battle, you win the game, so this is promising for the Commanders going forward.
- 0: Washington never turned the ball over, although they also did not force a turnover. The Commanders had the second-fewest turnovers forced out of any team in the league, and so far, that is still a problem for the Commanders.
- 3: The Commanders had three sacks in this game. This is the most sacks Washington has had against Jalen Hurts since October of 2023, when they also had three sacks. Rookie linebacker Sonny Styles recorded his first NFL sack in impressive fashion.
Game balls
- QB Jayden Daniels: He may have completed barely over 50 percent of his passes, but he kept the Commanders in this game through the entire 60 minutes. He never put the ball in danger, was sacked only once, and remained an active part of the run game.
- WR Antonio Williams: In his rookie debut, he finished the game as Washington’s leading receiver with 64 receiving yards, including a 33-yard reception, as well as his first touchdown. He looks like someone who could potentially be the leader in the Commanders’ receiving room.
- LB Sonny Styles: The rookie finished the game with four tackles, including three solo tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack. An impressive showing from another member of the Commanders’ rookie class.
What’s next
The Commanders will play their next game on the road against the Dallas Cowboys next Sunday before finally having their home opener against the Seattle Seahawks on Sun. Sept. 27 (1 p.m. / FOX).
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Instant analysis of Commanders' season-opening loss to the Eagles
