The Eagles somehow pulled off a 24-22 win against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field, but let’s be real, this was a nail-biter that should’ve never been. While head coach Nick Sirianni will say winning in the NFL is tough and praise the Commanders, this Week 1 victory felt like a huge escape. They barely scraped by thanks to a massive goal-line stand in the final minute, dodging a two-point conversion attempt that would have forced overtime. Jayden Daniels connected with Antonio Williams for a one-yard touchdown right before that, making it a two-point game. Then, Eagles defensive tackle Moro Ojomo absolutely blew up Washington’s offensive line, bringing John Bates down in the backfield on the two-point try with just 1:05 left in the fourth quarter. Talk about clutch!
Eagles’ Sloppy Win Saved by Hurts’ Magic
Despite the “W,” the Eagles can’t be feeling great about this one. The offense was straight-up sloppy. Even more surprising, their defense struggled big-time against a Washington offense that “does not have a ton of talent.” That’s a huge red flag for Week 1. Sean Mannion’s debut as offensive coordinator was shaky, full of bad moments caused by poor execution. It was a hot mess, folks.
But then there was Jalen Hurts. Dude was a one-man wrecking crew, saving the Eagles’ offense from total disaster. With just over eight minutes left in the fourth, on a third-and-18 play that looked dead, Hurts scrambled for an incredible 22 yards to Washington’s 47-yard line. He saw that opening and just took off, keeping that drive alive. He was the driving force behind every single touchdown possession, including that monster fourth-quarter drive he capped off with a beautiful 43-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dallas Goedert. Hurts was aggressive, pushing the ball downfield and looking super confident, which the article notes wasn’t always the case last year. That’s the version of Hurts they desperately need.
The ‘Most Hated Player’ Silences Critics, For Now
Hurts’ big plays didn’t stop there. He launched a 64-yard deep ball to Dontayvion Wicks that landed them on the 6-yard line late in the first quarter, setting up a 17-yard touchdown pass to Goedert. That throw was pure precision, fitting the ball with great anticipation between Commanders safeties Quan Martin and Jeremy Reaves right into Goedert’s hands. It was a dime. Later, running back Saquon Barkley broke tackles from Leo Chenal and Nick Cross for a massive 42-yard gain. Just two plays later, Hurts found Wicks again for a nine-yard touchdown in the left corner of the end zone, putting the Eagles up 14-3. This guy finished with 14 of 25 passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns.
This same Jalen Hurts is considered one of the “most controversial players” in the NFL. A Reddit poll this past spring even called him the “most hated player” among fans. Well, for one day, he absolutely shut up every single one of those critics. But even with that clutch performance from Hurts, the Eagles have a “ton of areas to fix” after this narrow win. They got the ‘W’ to kick off Week 1, but they’ve got a lot to clean up. Let’s see if that elite Hurts shows up again next time, because they’ll definitely need him.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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