The Washington Commanders opened the 2026 season with a disappointing 24-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. It was an incomplete performance from the Commanders, but they ultimately still had two chances to tie in the fourth quarter and ultimately came up short when they failed on a two-point conversion with around one minute remaining.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels and the offense got off to a slow start, but appeared to be finding a groove in the fourth quarter with new offensive coordinator David Blough. Daniels completed 9 of 11 attempts for 100 yards and two touchdowns in the final quarter. By this point, he was playing more out of shotgun and also had an impressive run, which was encouraging to see.
It was a solid performance for new
defensive coordinator Daronte Jones. The Commanders held Saquon Barkley to 15 carries for 83 yards, but 42 of those yards came on one play due to a missed tackle. Overall, the defense was solid and relentlessly pressured Jalen Hurts, but it gave up too many explosive plays, which proved to be the difference in the game.
Whose stock is up and whose is down after the Week 1 victory? Let's take a look.
Stock up: QB Jayden Daniels
In the fourth quarter, we saw the 2024 version of Daniels. He’s healthy and appeared more confident as the game wore on. He made several impressive throws on Washington’s final two drives. Daniels had a highlight-worthy 14-yard scramble that looked right out of his rookie season. Daniels showed impressive growth in areas you don’t see in the stat sheet, too. With no receivers open and facing pressure, Daniels threw the ball away multiple times. He also avoided unnecessary danger. Those areas drew praise from head coach Dan Quinn. If we were judging by the first half, Daniels would not be on this list, but he was outstanding in the fourth quarter, giving hope that he can carry it into next week’s game at Dallas.
Stock down: OC David Blough
Don’t get used to seeing Blough on this list. He’ll be just fine. He had a shaky start, including running on third-and-10 early in the game. His call on the two-point conversion late in the game led to criticism on social media. However, upon further review, the play might’ve worked if center Nick Allegretti hadn’t missed his block. When you face a legendary defensive coordinator in your first game as a play-caller, it's a tall task. It gets even harder when the opposition goes completely against their normal tendencies. That forced Blough to learn to adjust on the fly. He’ll be better for it late in the season.
Stock up: WR Antonio Williams
What a debut from the third-round pick from Clemson. He led the Commanders with four receptions for 64 yards and scored his first NFL touchdown. Williams was efficient, catching all four of his targets. Many questions remained about who would be the No. 3 receiver. Williams answered those questions on Sunday. His play was one of the game’s more positive developments. Expect to see Williams more prominently featured in the coming weeks.
Stock down: RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt
Why is Bill on this list? After all, he had a solid game, rushing for 63 yards and a touchdown against a stout Philadelphia defense. Croskey-Merritt was essentially Washington’s only offense in the first half, with multiple impressive runs. The problem came in the fourth quarter, as the Commanders looked to force a tie. Croskey-Merritt fumbled deep in Eagles’ territory. Fortunately, right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. fought and recovered the ball. Croskey-Merritt didn’t play the remainder of the game. He’s Washington’s best back, but he must cut out the fumbling issues.
Stock up: LB Sonny Styles
In his first NFL game, Styles recorded four tackles, including two for loss and one sack. His sack was impressive, as he ran over Saquon Barkley before wrapping up Hurts and taking him down. He showed how impactful he can be early in the game when he chased Barkley down for a stop. Styles showed a little bit of everything. An impressive performance from the Ohio State rookie.
Stock down: C Nick Allegretti
Washington’s center position has been a question mark since March. While the Commanders say they’re confident in Allegretti, he had a rough debut as the No. 1 center. There were a few questionable snaps. But the biggest issue was Allegretti’s blocking. We know he missed his block on the two-point play, but that wasn’t the only one. His lack of quickness is an issue. The Commanders hope and believe that more reps with Daniels will ease any concerns. That’s not the way Allegretti wanted to start the season.
Stock up: CB Amik Robertson
The free-agent addition was splendid in his Washington debut. Did you hear his name? You didn’t, because Robertson allowed one reception for just three yards. He was terrific. Despite his size, Robertson also brings physicality to the run game. Robertson has a different type of challenge this week with the Commanders facing the Cowboys’ elite receiver duo Ceedee Lamb and George Pickens.
Stock down: CB Mike Sainristil
While Robertson was terrific, Sainristil was anything but. Two big Philadelphia plays, including a touchdown reception by Dontayvion Wicks, were made due to Sainristil’s issues. He appeared to lose sight of the ball on a deep throw to Wicks in the first half. The Eagles later scored. Then, he allowed a touchdown reception to Wicks when no one was quite sure what he was doing.
Tay Wicks had Mike Sainristil in HELL. pic.twitter.com/l3CXy6165y
— Victor Williams (@ThePhillyPod) September 14, 2026
The Commanders need Sainristil to turn things around — and quickly.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders stock report: Whose is up, down after Week 1 loss to Eagles?
