Any debate about Jalen Hurts is never far away. For every perfectly placed touchdown pass, someone wants to discuss the incompletions. For every game-winning play, someone points to the mistakes. The Philadelphia Eagles' regular-season opener against the Washington Commanders was, at times, gut-wrenching. Still, it provided a 24-22 win. It also provided fresh fuel for both sides of the argument.
Hurts wasn't flawless, as nothing is ever perfect in this league. He missed throws he'd like to have back. The offense endured too many stalled drives. At times, the Eagles looked stuck in neutral. Yet when the game demanded a play, their quarterback delivered one.
Facing a third-and-18 late in the fourth quarter after a false-start penalty put the offense
behind the chains, Hurts tucked the football and raced 22 yards for a crucial first down. It was vintage Hurts — decisive, physical, and timely. More importantly, it helped preserve a victory that might not have happened otherwise.
Jalen Hurts with a BIG gain of 22.
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 13, 2026
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/R0Fh8cdbXS
By day's end, he completed 14 of 25 passes for 203 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. His passer rating checked in at 122.2, and his QBR settled at 71.2. The stat line wasn't perfect. Neither was the performance. The result, however, was exactly what the Eagles needed. A deeper dive shows how good he truly was.
Jalen Hurts' best throws
Hurts may never be Drew Brees from an accuracy standpoint, but he's a legitimate NFL quarterback. He can spin the ball, and the tosses are simply beautiful when he has time to survey and set himself. Check out these throws to Dontayvion Wicks and the always relaible DeVonta Smith. On the TD toss to Wicks, he stood and faced some pressure.
Jalen Hurts goes DEEP to Dontayvion Wicks for 64 yards!
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 13, 2026
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/YWAd95NABQ
What a throw. What a catch. 🔥
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 13, 2026
Jalen Hurts drops it in perfectly and DeVonta Smith gets the toes down for 31 yards!
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/0BdPF69KYC
Hurts ➡️ Wicks for 6
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 13, 2026
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/HIdKNW8Xqf
Jalen Hurts' worst throws
Hurts was clearly knocking off the rust during his first drive, as he didn't lay one out far enough in the flat to Saquon Barkley, but hospital balls are always something one wants to avoid. QB1 delivered one with about 8:48 remaining in the first quarter with Philadelphia facing a third-down scenario.
Dontayvion Wicks ran a four-yard pattern, and for his troubles, he was annihilated by former Eagles Rasul Douglas. A lot of moving pieces are at play here. You could argue it wasn't anyone's fault, per se. It just looked bad.
The good news is Wicks wasn't any worse for wear. Again, he enjoyed a nice day. One could argue that Hurts throwing one too wide a pass to Goedert on third-and-four, shortly after his dime to DeVonta Smith, was the bigger error. All worked out. Jake Elliott nailed his first field-goal attempt of the season.
In total, Hurts misfired on 11 of his 25 pass attempts. DeVonta Smith was targeted six times. Three of those were bad misses. Still, Hurts, though imperfect, was at his best when he absolutely had to be. The Eagles aren't 1-0 after Week 1 without his efforts. The perfect throws more than make up for the misfires and raise his ball location grade to 'slightly above average.'
Jalen Hurts' Week 1 final report card
Hurts and Saquon Barkley were off their game at times. Truth be told, the offensive line let them down, and that has a lot to do with it. QB1 passes his first test, and the Eagles are now 6-0 in openers during the HUrts/Nick Sirianni era. That should silence the doubters for at least a week or so.
- Accuracy and ball location: B
- Vision and Dissection: B+
- Intangibles and off-script plays: A+
- Decision-making: A
- Leadership: A+
- Overall grade: A
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Jalen Hurts Week 1 grades: Eagles QB wills his team to victory
