The Philadelphia Eagles made the most of their week one matchup against the Washington Commanders, coming out with a 24-22 victory over the division rival. There were many things to take away from this win, but here are the five biggest things to come out of this game from Philadelphia’s side.
Jalen Hurts didn’t have the best game on paper, only recording 203 passing yards on 14/25 passing. That doesn’t mean he didn’t perform well, however. He came up huge on multiple occasions, showing some real potential in this new offensive scheme.
Hurts looked really comfortable in the run game, making some big plays with his legs. The biggest came on 3rd and 18 midway through the fourth quarter, when Hurts took off on a 22-yard scramble. He totaled 46 yards on the ground.
Hurts also looked really good with his ball placement, specifically deep passes. His throw to Dallas Goedert on 3rd and 17 for a touchdown couldn’t have been any better. He made a perfect throw to Devonta Smith on the sideline for a huge gain. He made use of his camp chemistry with Dontayvion Wicks, connecting on a 64-yard deep ball early in the game.
All of this is to say one thing: Hurts is set up really well with this new Sean Mannion offensive scheme. The more he develops into it and learns, he could really thrive.
Zack Baun was absolutely incredible against Washington. He was everywhere on the field and showed why he has been a first-team All-Pro. He had seven tackles and two pass deflections in week one.
Baun was in conversations this offseason that seemed a little unfair. Some were suggesting that it may be best to get off his contract and look to go in a different direction before the linebacker could fall off due to age. If week one means anything, don’t expect Philadelphia to even think about moving on from Baun anytime soon. He’s irreplaceable.
Riq Woolen was signed to a one-year contract this offseason with the hope of securing the opposite side of the field from Quinton Mitchell. Philadelphia has tried numerous options to find the right fit, and nothing has seemed to work out.
Woolen showed that he can be a real difference maker on Sunday. He saw only four targets come his way against Washington, and he did not allow a single reception. If he is able to keep up that high-level production, expect the Eagles to have one of the best defenses in the NFL once again.
Dallas Goedert scored two touchdowns against Washington, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s a common thing throughout 2026. The departure of AJ Brown left a major void in the endzone target share for Philadelphia, and Goedert looks to be taking a major jump.
This is important because it’s not like Goedert wasn’t being targeted before; he had the third most red zone targets on the Eagles last season. He scored 11 touchdowns in 15 games played in 2025. That number may rise even more in 2026.
Makai Lemon has everything it takes to be a really good receiver in this league one day, but it will take time. Mannion has emphasized getting him the ball and finding creative ways to do so, but that has not worked very well.
Lemon has seen most of his targets come from behind the line of scrimmage, and he hasn’t been able to avoid tacklers. He was stuffed for negative yards on two of his three receptions on Sunday, resulting in a total of -5 receiving yards. Sean Mannion will need to look for better ways to get him easy receptions and yards.
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