The Philadelphia Eagles kicked off the 2026 season with a 24-22 victory over the Washington Commanders, surviving an uneven second half that brought back memories of 2025 and a late comeback attempt at Lincoln Financial Field.
Philadelphia ran 55 offensive plays compared with 70 defensive snaps, reflecting Washington’s 33:20 advantage in time of possession. The Eagles still got timely big plays from Jalen Hurts, Dallas Goedert, Zack Baun, and several offseason additions.
Eagles-Commanders playing time distribution: pic.twitter.com/OXBZG8jQdM
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) September 14, 2026
Here is a position-by-position look at Philadelphia’s unofficial snap counts and the key performances that accompanied them.
Quarterback
Jalen Hurts: 55 snaps (100%)
Hurts handled every offensive snap, completing 14 of 25
passes for 203 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. He also rushed five times for 48 yards. His most important run came on third-and-18 during the fourth quarter. Hurts gained 22 yards to extend the possession before finding Goedert for a 43-yard touchdown that gave Philadelphia a 24-16 lead. The three touchdown passes increased Hurts’ career total to 113, tying Carson Wentz for fourth place in franchise history.
Running back
Saquon Barkley: 39 snaps (71%)Will Shipley: 10 snaps (18%)Tank Bigsby: Six snaps (11%)
The Eagles used one running back on each of their 55 offensive plays, with Barkley receiving the overwhelming majority of the work. Barkley rushed 15 times for 83 yards, including a 42-yard run that set up Dontayvion Wicks’ touchdown reception. He accounted for 71% of the offensive snaps despite Philadelphia’s struggles to sustain possessions during the second half. Shipley and Bigsby combined for the other 16 snaps. Shipley also played 21 special teams snaps, tied for the fourth-highest total on the team, while Bigsby contributed on 11 special teams plays.
Wide receiver
DeVonta Smith: 52 snaps (95%)Dontayvion Wicks: 50 snaps (91%)Makai Lemon: 35 snaps (64%)Darius Cooper: Eight snaps (15%)Britain Covey: Six special teams snaps
Smith and Wicks operated as Philadelphia’s primary wide receivers. Wicks made a strong first impression during his Eagles debut, catching two passes for 73 yards and one touchdown. His career-long 64-yard reception helped set up Philadelphia’s first score. Wicks later caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Hurts to give the Eagles a 14-3 lead.
Smith was on the field for all but three offensive plays. His 31-yard reception on third-and-5 helped set up Jake Elliott’s third-quarter field goal. Lemon played 64% of the offensive snaps in his NFL debut and contributed a critical downfield block on Hurts’ fourth-quarter scramble. Cooper played only eight offensive snaps but handled a much larger special teams role, appearing on 21 plays.
Covey was elevated from the practice squad but was limited to six special teams snaps and did not play on offense.
Tight end
Dallas Goedert: 52 snaps (95%)Johnny Mundt: 20 snaps (36%)E.J. Jenkins: One snap (2%)
Goedert rarely left the field and became one of the central figures in Philadelphia’s victory. He caught four passes for 77 yards and two touchdowns on five targets. Goedert opened the Eagles’ scoring with a 17-yard touchdown reception before producing a 43-yard catch-and-run score in the fourth quarter. He has scored seven touchdowns across his past six home games, including the playoffs.
Mundt’s 20 offensive snaps show the Eagles maintained a meaningful role for two-tight end packages. He also played 12 special teams snaps. Jenkins played only one offensive snap but led Philadelphia with 25 special teams appearances, accounting for 81% of the team’s plays in that phase.
Offensive line
Jordan Mailata: 55 snaps (100%)Landon Dickerson: 55 snaps (100%)Cam Jurgens: 55 snaps (100%)Tyler Steen: 55 snaps (100%)Lane Johnson: 55 snaps (100%)
Philadelphia’s starting offensive line played the entire game. That continuity didn't produce a consistently clean afternoon. Washington recorded three sacks, while Dickerson was credited with allowing three pressures — one quarterback hit and two hurries — in addition to committing a holding penalty. Dickerson and Jurgens combined for three holding penalties. The pressure helped Hurts complete only one of his five attempts when Washington disrupted the pocket.
Mailata, Dickerson and Steen each added four special teams snaps. Drew Kendall, Willie Lampkin, Fred Johnson and Markel Bell also played four special teams snaps apiece without appearing on offense.
Defensive line
Jalen Carter: 66 snaps (94%)Moro Ojomo: 48 snaps (69%)Jordan Davis: 34 snaps (49%)Byron Young: Six snaps (9%)
Carter handled a significant workload, playing 66 of Philadelphia’s 70 defensive snaps. His most important contribution came on special teams when he blocked an extra-point attempt late in the second quarter. It was Carter’s fourth blocked kick since entering the NFL in 2023. The two-point margin in the final score demonstrated the importance of preventing Washington from earning that extra point. Ojomo played 48 defensive snaps and diagnosed Washington’s shovel pass on the potential game-tying two-point conversion. His stop preserved Philadelphia’s 24-22 lead with just over a minute remaining.
Davis played fewer than half the defensive snaps but recorded seven tackles while helping the Eagles control the interior. Young was limited to six defensive plays.
Linebacker and edge rusher
Zack Baun: 70 snaps (100%)Jihaad Campbell: 67 snaps (96%)Jalyx Hunt: 53 snaps (76%)Nolan Smith Jr.: 47 snaps (67%)Arnold Ebiketie: 28 snaps (40%)A.J. Epenesa: 12 snaps (17%)
Baun played every defensive snap and delivered one of the best performances on the roster. He finished with 12 tackles, four run stops, two passes defended, and one tackle for loss. According to Next Gen Stats, Baun allowed three catches for minus-2 yards on six targets. He became one of two defenders since 2025 to face at least five targets in a game without surrendering positive receiving yardage.
Campbell missed only three defensive snaps and recorded the first sack of his NFL career. His immediate three-down role indicates Philadelphia is comfortable asking the young linebacker to handle significant responsibilities.
Hunt led the edge rushers with 53 snaps. Smith played 47, while Ebiketie and Epenesa worked as rotational options. The group helped limit Jayden Daniels to 164 passing yards, although Philadelphia finished with only one sack.
Cornerback
Riq Woolen: 70 snaps (100%)Quinyon Mitchell: 70 snaps (100%)Michael Carter II: Six snaps (9%)Kelee Ringo: 26 special teams snaps
Woolen and Mitchell played every defensive snap, confirming their status as Philadelphia’s top two outside cornerbacks.
Woolen made an impressive Eagles debut. He played 37 coverage snaps, was targeted four times, and did not allow a reception, according to Ryan Fowler. Washington did not record a yard when throwing in his direction.
Carter had a small defensive role with six snaps but was a core special teams contributor, playing 19 snaps. Ringo did not appear on defense but led the Eagles with 26 special teams snaps.
Safety and defensive back
Cooper DeJean: 70 defensive snaps (100%)Andrew Mukuba: 70 defensive snaps (100%)Marcus Epps: 53 defensive snaps (76%)
DeJean and Mukuba joined Woolen, Mitchell and Baun as the five Eagles defenders who never left the field.
DeJean also appeared on two offensive plays and three special teams snaps. He surrendered a fourth-quarter touchdown to Stefon Diggs, the first touchdown catch DeJean has allowed from the slot during his NFL career.
Epps played 53 snaps as the third safety. His 76% share confirmed that Vic Fangio intends to keep him heavily involved even with DeJean and Mukuba serving as the every-down options.
Philadelphia’s usage of three safeties gave Fangio flexibility to change alignments without making wholesale substitutions.
Special teams
Kelee Ringo: 26 snaps (84%)E.J. Jenkins: 25 snaps (81%)Jeremiah Trotter Jr.: 24 snaps (77%)Will Shipley: 21 snaps (68%)Darius Cooper: 21 snaps (68%)Smael Mondon Jr.: 20 snaps (65%)Michael Carter II: 19 snaps (61%)
Ringo, Jenkins, Trotter, Shipley, Cooper and Mondon formed the core of Philadelphia’s coverage and return units.
Braden Mann played 11 special teams snaps while punting seven times for 361 yards. He averaged 51.6 yards per punt, produced two kicks of at least 60 yards and placed four punts inside Washington’s 20.
Elliott played nine snaps and converted a 35-yard field goal. Carter’s blocked extra point and Ojomo’s stop on the late two-point conversion ultimately separated the teams in a game decided by the narrowest of margins.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Eagles snap counts vs. Commanders: Breakdown and analysis from 24-22 win
