The difference between panic and perspective often comes down to one play. Had the Washington Commanders converted their late two-point attempt, the conversation surrounding the Philadelphia Eagles would be dramatically different this week.
Instead, Philadelphia escaped Week 1 with a 24-22 victory, improved to 1-0, and extended the Jalen Hurts-Nick Sirianni era's perfect record in season openers
. That doesn't mean everything went according to plan.The Eagles generated enough explosive plays to win. Hurts delivered another clutch performance when the game hung in the balance. They made the defensive stop they absolutely needed. They also struggled to sustain drives, received uneven play from the offensive line, and left several opportunities
on the field. The good news is none of the issues appear fatal. The bad news is they'll need to improve quickly with a road trip to face the Tennessee Titans looming. Before the Eagles take the field in Week 2, here are three obvious areas that need improvement.
The offensive line leaves much to be desired.
Pro Football Focus released its Week 1 grades. They weren't particularly flattering to Philadelphia's offensive front.
PFF run-blocking grades
- Jordan Mailata — 66.4
- Landon Dickerson — 47.0
- Cam Jurgens — 67.6
- Tyler Steen — 62.2
- Lane Johnson — 72.6
PFF pass-blocking grades
- Jordan Mailata — 90.0
- Landon Dickerson — 20.8
- Cam Jurgens — 84.6
- Tyler Steen — 58.6
- Lane Johnson — 76.9
PFF grades should never be treated as gospel, but they often help identify trends. In this case, the numbers largely reinforce what many saw Sunday.
Philadelphia's offensive line struggled to create consistent movement in the running game, and communication breakdowns occasionally left defenders unaccounted for. Sean Mannion referenced those issues multiple times during his media availability, repeatedly mentioning the need to stay on schedule and clean up communication up front.
The challenge only grows with Landon Dickerson now on injured reserve. Whether it's Drew Kendall or Willie Lampkin, the Eagles need more consistency from a unit that has long been the foundation of their offense.
The offense must find a rhythm
There were plenty of highlights. Hurts threw three touchdown passes. Dallas Goedert hauled in two scores. Dontayvion Wicks and DeVonta Smith provided two of the game's biggest explosive plays. Hurts also delivered arguably the play of the game when he scrambled 22 yards on third-and-18 late in the fourth quarter.
The problem is those moments often felt isolated rather than connected. Philadelphia finished with five three-and-outs and spent too much of the afternoon fighting long-yardage situations. The Eagles repeatedly relied on difficult third-down conversions rather than staying ahead of the chains.
That concern isn't new. One of the major criticisms of last year's offense was its inability to sustain drives and consistently control games for four quarters. Through one week, some of those same concerns remain. The encouraging part is, if the offensive line settles in and the Eagles avoid negative plays, the rhythm should follow.
The pass rush must finish when opportunities arise
The Eagles generated pressure. The problem is they didn't generate enough sacks. According to Washington Post reporter Tashan Reed, the Commanders allowed pressure on roughly half of Jayden Daniels' dropbacks. Yet Philadelphia finished with only one sack.
The #Commanders allowed a pressure rate of 50% vs. the Eagles, which was tied for the second-worst mark in the NFL in Week 1 according to Next Gen Stats.
— Tashan Reed (@tashanreed) September 14, 2026
A contributing factor: QB Jayden Daniels had an average time to throw of 3.41 seconds, which was the slowest among all QBs.
Vic Fangio wasn't particularly pleased with what he saw. The defensive coordinator said the pass rush "wasn't good enough"and pointed to a lack of one-on-one victories across the board. Mobile quarterbacks can create challenges, and Daniels certainly did that throughout the afternoon, but the Eagles need better finishing ability from their front.
The Titans present another opportunity this week. Cam Ward remains dangerous because of his mobility, but he also held the football at times during Tennessee's opener against theNew York Jets. If the Eagles generate the same level of pressure they produced against Washington, they'll need to do a better job turning those opportunities into drive-killing sacks.
The silver lining
The encouraging part is that none of these issues feel impossible to fix. The Eagles aren't searching for answers after a blowout loss. They're trying to clean up mistakes following a victory. That's a big difference.
Philadelphia already proved it can win while playing less than its best football. Now comes the harder part. The Titans won't care that the Eagles escaped Week 1. Tennessee will look to exploit the same weaknesses Washington exposed. If Philadelphia improves its offensive line play, sustains drives more consistently, and finishes plays defensively, there's every reason to believe a cleaner performance awaits in Week 2.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: 3 obvious areas where Eagles can improve entering road clash vs. Titans
