PHILADELPHIA — The Washington Commanders didn’t look like a finished product during Sunday’s season-opening 24-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. They were a promising prototype, though, according to players and coaches.
The flaws, though glaring, appear fixable.
The Commanders’ upset attempt was derailed by a handful of plays that made fans want to tear their hair out. Veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after hugging the goal post following his first touchdown in burgundy and gold.
That mistake prevented Washington from attempting a game-tying two-point conversion.
Cornerback Mike Sainristil looked lost on a pair of first-half passes that led to the Eagles’ touchdowns. Quarterback Jayden Daniels’ rapport with receivers improved throughout the game, but he still missed some easy throws early on.
The team debuted new offensive and defensive units, led by first-year coordinators David Blough and Daronte Jones. The blueprints for their respective systems looked sound.
The defense, outside of a few chunk plays, shut down an Eagles’ attack that features dual-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts and a home-run-hitting running back in Saquon Barkley. The offense sputtered through the first half before finding a rhythm later on.
“A lot of hustle and a lot of heart,” edge rusher Odafe Oweh said following his first game with Washington. “We’re trying to slay a dragon here and prove to the world and everyone else that we’re coming up. … We didn’t get it this time, but I can tell we’re on a good track.”
Jones spent the offseason installing a new scheme and fresh philosophy for the defense. It showed.
Cornerback Rasul Douglas introduced the unit on its first drive with a bone-crushing hit on receiver Dontayvion Wicks that forced a third-down incompletion and knocked the collective wind out of those in the stadium.
“I’m a bigger corner. So, I get a chance to be physical; I’m going to display that,” Douglas said.
It was a theme. Rookie linebacker Sonny Styles blew up Barkley en route to his first career sack later in the game. Oweh joined the sack party by pulling Hurts down for another loss.
“He’s way ahead of where you think he is,” Oweh said of Styles. But the same principle applied to defense at large. The Commanders lived in the backfield, blowing up screens, runs and quick passes with reckless abandon.
The lapses haunted them in the loss — several players cited a 22-yard run by Hurts on a third-and-18 — but the group is far from the unit that finished near the bottom of the league in most metrics last season.
“There’s some good, some bad, but you’ve got to find a way to win the game,” Styles said.
The offense had its own struggles.
Daniels completed just six of his first 16 pass attempts. Receivers weren’t open, and when they were, the connection wasn’t there. Washington’s third-year quarterback would miss the window, or receivers would drop the pass.
Pro Bowl pass-catcher Terry McLaurin didn’t record a catch until the fourth quarter. Diggs only caught two of his first seven targets.
The offense punted the ball away six times on the day, including four times in the first half.
“You’re not going to be as clean. You try to be as clean as possible, but you can’t shoot yourself in the foot.”
Diggs said the slow start contributed to the costly celebration that complicated the ending for Washington.
“It was a little bit out of frustration,” the 12-year pro said. “One of the things to go right. Finally we hit one, and I get a little excited.”
Washington’s offense shook off the rust in the fourth quarter. Daniels completed nine of his final 11 pass attempts for 99 yards and two touchdowns.
It wasn’t enough. The Commanders needed one more ounce of magic, but John Bates was tackled short of the goal line on the potentially game-tying two-point conversion attempt with a minute left.
No unit was without fault in the loss. Even the special teams unit had its mistakes. The rookie kicker had an extra point blocked, which necessitated the final two-point try, and missed a 54-yard field goal wide right in the third quarter.
The loss “stings a lot,” Quinn said. But he was optimistic about his team heading into their Week 2 trip to Dallas to face the Cowboys.
“I really loved our fight, that competitive nature. The miscues, I thought, hurt us. Those are the margins right there,” Washington’s third-year coach said. “There’s going to be a lot for us to teach off of.”
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