Commanders Come Up Two Points Short in 24-22 Loss to Eagles

The Washington Commanders (0-1) came within a two-point conversion of tying the Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) late in the fourth quarter Sunday, but fell short, 24-22, at Lincoln Financial Field.

Eagles Take a 14-9 Halftime Lead

Washington scored first on Drew Stevens’ 55-yard field goal with 11:23 remaining in the first quarter.

Philadelphia took the lead early in the second quarter when quarterback Jalen Hurts connected with Dallas Goedert for a 17-yard touchdown. Hurts later threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Dontayvion Wicks, putting the Eagles ahead, 14-3.

Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt scored on a 1-yard run late in the first half. Philadelphia defensive tackle Jalen Carter blocked Stevens’ extra-point attempt, leaving the Eagles ahead, 14-9 at halftime.

Washington had another opportunity to score in the third quarter, but Stevens missed a 54-yard field-goal attempt wide right.

Jake Elliott’s 35-yard field goal with 44 seconds remaining in the third quarter increased Philadelphia’s lead to 17-9.

Diggs Touchdown Comes With a Cost

Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels connected with Stefon Diggs for a 10-yard touchdown with 9:59 remaining in the fourth quarter, cutting Philadelphia’s lead to 17-15.

Diggs then jumped onto and hugged the goalpost during his celebration and was penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct. Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said Washington planned to attempt a two-point conversion, but the penalty moved the attempt back. The Commanders instead kicked the extra point to make it 17-16.

Diggs took responsibility afterward.

“Of course, I take full accountability,” Diggs said.

Daniels also addressed the penalty.

“We just got to be smart,” Daniels said. “There’s a time and place for celebration.”

Philadelphia Answers on Third-and-18

Philadelphia regained control on its next possession.

Facing third-and-18, Hurts scrambled 22 yards for a first down. He later connected with Goedert for a 43-yard touchdown, and Elliott’s extra point gave Philadelphia a 24-16 lead with 6:02 remaining.

“It’s just about meeting the moment when your opportunity comes,” Hurts said afterward.

Final Two-Point Attempt Falls Short

Washington got the ball back with just over six minutes remaining, and Daniels drove the Commanders downfield.

Daniels connected with Terry McLaurin for 6 yards on fourth-and-2 to keep the drive alive. He eventually found rookie Antonio Williams for a 1-yard touchdown with 1:01 remaining, cutting Philadelphia’s lead to 24-22.

After a replay review upheld the touchdown, Washington went for the tie.

Offensive coordinator David Blough called for a shovel pass from Daniels to tight end John Bates. Quinn approved the call.

“I knew the play,” Quinn said. “I thought it was a good one. When it doesn’t execute, it sucks.”

Daniels also defended the call.

“The 2-point play, we just didn’t execute,” Daniels said. “It was the right call.”

Eagles defensive tackle Moro Ojomo broke through and stopped Bates, preserving Philadelphia’s two-point lead.

“I got off on the ball,” Ojomo said. “Took a shot. You kind of got to play it free.”

Washington attempted an onside kick, but DeVonta Smith recovered for Philadelphia. Hurts then took two knees to end the game.

“That stings, man. A lot,” Quinn said during his postgame press conference.

Daniels and Hurts by the Numbers

Philadelphia outgained Washington, 318-295. Washington controlled the football for 33 minutes, 20 seconds, compared with 26:40 for Philadelphia. Neither team committed a turnover.

The Commanders ran 67 offensive plays compared with 53 for Philadelphia, but the Eagles averaged 6.0 yards per play compared with Washington’s 4.4.

Daniels completed 18 of 34 passes for 164 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, finishing with an 85.9 passer rating. He also rushed five times for 31 yards.

Daniels acknowledged afterward that there was a “feeling-out period” early in the game.

By comparison, Hurts completed 14 of 25 passes for 203 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, producing a 122.2 passer rating. He also rushed seven times for 46 yards.

The NFL’s traditional passer-rating system measures passing efficiency using four components: completion percentage, yards per attempt, touchdown percentage and interception percentage. Those figures are combined to produce a rating ranging from 0 to 158.3, the highest possible score.

Rookies Make Their Mark

Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt led Washington’s rushing attack with 63 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown. Rachaad White added 22 yards on seven carries, while Kaytron Allen carried four times for 16 yards.

Williams led Washington’s receivers with four catches for 64 yards and a touchdown. The rookie caught all four passes thrown his way, and his 33-yard reception was Washington’s longest completion.

Diggs caught four passes for 55 yards and a touchdown. McLaurin finished with two receptions for 14 yards.

Saquon Barkley led Philadelphia with 83 yards on 15 carries, including a 42-yard run.

Goedert caught four passes for 77 yards and two touchdowns. Smith had three receptions for 53 yards, while Wicks caught two passes for 73 yards.

Washington’s Defense Keeps It Close

Washington’s defense kept the Commanders within striking distance. The unit recorded three sacks and 10 tackles for loss while limiting Philadelphia to 10 first downs.

Frankie Luvu, Odafe Oweh and rookie Sonny Styles each recorded a sack. The Commanders held Philadelphia to 136 rushing yards despite Barkley’s 42-yard run.

Styles, Washington’s 2026 first-round draft pick, made an immediate impact in his NFL debut. The 21-year-old linebacker finished with four tackles, including his first career sack, and beat Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson to drop Barkley for a 3-yard loss.

Oweh, added by Washington during the offseason to strengthen its pass rush, recorded his sack in his Commanders debut.

Philadelphia linebacker Zack Baun led both teams with 12 tackles and also had a tackle for loss and two passes defended.

Tyler Owens’ Effort Draws National Attention

One of Washington’s most impressive plays came on special teams.

Commanders safety Tyler Owens fought his way through Philadelphia blockers on punt coverage, stayed with the play and brought Eagles returner Will Shipley to the ground.

Owens, a third-year defensive back from Texas Tech who originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent, drew national attention as video of the play spread across the internet following the game.

Watch Tyler Owens’ special-teams play on YouTube.

Injuries and Missed Opportunities

Washington also suffered several injuries during the game. Tight end Chig Okonkwo left with a hamstring injury, Luvu departed with a groin injury and Owens left with an ankle injury. Okonkwo had two catches for 16 yards before leaving, while Luvu recorded four tackles, including one sack. Owens finished with two tackles.

Washington was penalized six times for 45 yards, while Philadelphia had five penalties for 40 yards.

The Commanders outscored the Eagles, 13-7, in the fourth quarter, but several plays involving potential points proved costly in a game decided by two.

Carter blocked an extra point in the first half, Stevens missed a 54-yard field goal in the third quarter, Diggs’ celebration penalty took away Washington’s opportunity to attempt a two-point conversion from the 2-yard line, and the Commanders’ final two-point attempt was stopped.

“The miscues I thought hurt us in this game and those were the margins right there, division games or otherwise,” Quinn said afterward.

The game was played before an announced crowd of 69,879. Conditions were warm with light winds, with the kickoff forecast calling for approximately 83 degrees and winds around 5 mph.

Up Next: Dallas Cowboys

Washington will remain on the road next week when it faces the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, Sept. 20, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:25 p.m., and the game will be televised on FOX.