The Commanders defense hasn’t given up much to the Eagles in the second half and their offense has finally jumped back into things.
Jayden Daniels capped a 67-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs. The veteran’s first score with the Commanders brought them within 17-15, but Diggs’s overly enthusiastic celebration of the score cost the Commanders a chance to tie the score, however.
Diggs ran through the end zone and jumped onto the goalpost before falling backward onto the field. That drew a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, which meant the Commanders kicked the extra point instead of trying for a two-point conversion. It’s now 17-16 Eagles with under 10 minutes to play in Philadelphia.
The jolt of offensive life was still a net positive for the Commanders and the Eagles will have to find some of their own to ensure they emerge with a win in Week 1.
Commanders Clips
The Eagles kicked off their bid for a third straight division title on Sunday and they are in the lead halfway through their home game against the Commanders.
Jalen Hurts threw touchdown passes to tight end Dallas Goedert and wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks as the Eagles jumped out to a 14-3 lead. The Commanders got into the end zone for the first time late in the second quarter, but Jalen Carter blocked the extra point to send the Eagles into halftime with a 14-9 advantage.
Big plays set up each of the Eagles touchdowns. A 64-yard pass to Wicks put the Eagles in position for their first score and a 42-yard Saquon Barkley run helped lead to Wicks’s first touchdown as an Eagle. The Eagles only managed 76 yards on their other 26 offensive plays, however, and consistency will be something they try to find in the second half of this contest.
The Commanders had their own offensive issues. They went three-and-out three straight times after opening the game with a field goal, but quarterback Jayden Daniels was able to make plays with his arm and feet to get the team in position for Jacory Croskey-Merritt’s one-yard touchdown run.
The Eagles will get the ball to kick off the third quarter, so the Commanders will need to force a quick stop to give Daniels a chance to pick up where he left off.
The Eagles offense had a rough go of it on their first couple of possessions on Sunday, but things got rolling the third time they had the ball.
Jalen Hurts hit wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks for a 64-yard gain that flipped the field and put the Eagles in scoring position for the first time this season. It was Wicks’s first catch as an Eagle and it set up the latest touchdown for a longtime member of the team.
Hurts found tight end Dallas Goedert for a 17-yard score and the Eagles now lead the Commanders 7-3 with just over 14 minutes to play in the first half.
Washington drove for a field goal to open the game, but they have not picked up a first down since that drive. Jayden Daniels is 2-of-6 for 18 yards.
The Eagles were mum about their backup quarterback this week, but we finally got the answer 90 minutes ahead of their game against the Commanders.
Andy Dalton is active for the game and will be the No. 2 behind Jalen Hurts. Tanner McKee, who was listed alongside Dalton on the depth chart, and rookie Cole Payton are both inactive. McKee is listed as the emergency third quarterback.
Wide receiver Elijah Moore, linebacker Jonathan Greenard, and offensive lineman Micah Morris are also inactive for the Eagles.
Athan Kaliakmanis will be the emergency quarterback for Washington. Wide receiver Luke McCaffrey, wide receiver Treylon Burks, defensive tackle Ricky Barber, and guard Tanoa Togiai are the other inactives for the Commanders.
Eagles second-round pick Eli Stowers won’t be making his regular season debut against the Commanders on Sunday.
Stowers was placed on injured reserve Saturday, so the earliest the tight end will be able to play is in Week 5. Stowers was listed as questionable due to a hamstring injury, but the team says that a quad injury is also part of the reason why he was placed on injured reserve.
Grant Calcaterra is also on injured reserve, so the Eagles will have Dallas Goedert, Johnny Mundt, and E.J. Jenkins as their tight ends in the coming weeks.
The Eagles elevated wide receiver Britain Covey from the practice squad. He’ll revert back to that roster after Sunday’s game.
In five years as the Eagles’ head coach, Nick Sirianni has had his offensive coordinator on the field with him during the games. For the first time in Sirianni’s tenure, the man calling the plays on offense will be upstairs.
“We want to think through every situation to make sure that we’re giving ourselves the best opportunity for us to win the game and be at our best,” Sirianni told reporters on Friday regarding the decision to have Sean Mannion be in the booth. “Also understanding that there is no right way to do it or wrong way to do it. There’s many different ways to do it. I think we can get caught up so much, it’s like, ‘This is the only way to do it.’ You have conviction in what you believe, but there’s many different things that can work and have worked. It’s just about making the best decision, what’s best for your football team and for you to do your job the best. That’s how we went about it.”
Sirianni was then asked how it will affect him to not have the offensive coordinator by his side during games.
“I don’t think at all,” Sirianni said. “I mean, obviously, there’s communication still, right? We’re talking on the headset and everything like that. I would say it’s the amount of conversations that happen that have to be face-to-face, I think, are very minimal. I don’t think that’s -- you’re being able to communicate and that’s something that we stress on our players of how important communication is. We have to lead that as coaches as well. I don’t think that affects us at all.”
The balance continues to be seeing the full field for every play and having the ability to talk directly to the players without using a phone. And there is no magic to it. Nevertheless, it will be a different game-day experience for Sirianni, and for players like quarterback Jalen Hurts.
The first test of the new approach comes on Sunday, when the Eagles host the Commanders.
Linebacker Jonathan Greenard said on Thursday that he feels “close” to being ready to play after missing all of training camp and the preseason with a pectoral injury, but he’s not close enough to be in the lineup this weekend.
Greenard returned to practice this week as a limited participant and the Eagles announced on Friday afternoon that he has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Commanders. If all goes well, Greenard could make his debut for the team against the Titans in Week 2.
Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, Arnold Ebiketie, and A.J. Epenesa will be the available outside linebackers for the Eagles.
Second-round pick Eli Stowers is the only other Eagle with an injury designation. The tight end is questionable to play due to a hamstring injury.
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn delivered some positive injury news on Friday.
Via multiple reporters, Quinn said in his press conference that everyone on the 53-man roster is cleared to play against the Eagles in Week 1.
That means outside linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson (knee), outside linebacker Odafe Oweh (calf), and running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt (groin) are all expected to play after being limited in practice for the first two days of the week.
Defensive tackle Daron Payne (knee) also popped up on the injury report as limited on Thursday, but is expected to play.
Offensive lineman Nick Allegretti (calf), linebacker Jordan Magee (chest), backup QB Marcus Mariota (knee), defensive end Charles Omenihu (wrist), tight end Ben Sinnott (oblique), and defensive tackle Javon Kiinlaw (back) are also expected to play after being full on the injury report this week.
Kickoff for Sunday’s matchup between the Commanders and Eagles is set for 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday.
The NFL Players Association announced on Friday that Commanders offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil has been named their Community MVP for Week 1 of the 2026 season.
Tunsil is being honored for hosting a back-to-school event for 250 kids in the Washington D.C. area. The children and their families enjoyed food and music while receiving a backpack with school supplies, haircuts and other items to help get ready for the start of the school year.
“Being named this week’s NFLPA Community MVP means a lot to me because giving back has always been bigger than football,” Tunsil said in a statement. “I’m grateful to have the opportunity to support families, empower young people and create experiences that make a difference in my community.”
The NFLPA will donate $10,000 to an organization of Tunsil’s choice. Tunsil, who is currently sidelined by a triceps injury, will also be eligible for the Alan Page Award at the end of the season.
D.J. Humphries won’t be on the field for the Commanders on Sunday.
The Commanders announced that they have released Humphries on Friday. The veteran offensive tackle joined the team on August 26.
When Humphries was signed, he was seen as a potential part of the plan to replace left tackle Laremy Tunsil this season. Tunsil tore his triceps this summer and Brandon Coleman was installed in his spot on the offensive line, but Humphries was an experienced option for Washington to consider.
Humphries’s salary for the entire season would have been guaranteed if he was on the roster for the Week 1 game against the Eagles, so the Commanders could opt to bring him back at a later date but, for now, Humphries is free to sign with any team.
