Sept. 14, 2026
Two plays involving Jalen Hurts perfectly encapsulated the opening game of 2026 for both the franchise quarterback and the Eagles.
The first play, with 8:11 left in the game, was a throw Hurts intentionally chucked 10 yards out of bounds to avoid a sack, generating a boo from the Lincoln Financial Field crowd that rivaled any he has received in his six-plus seasons here.
Eight seconds later, on third down and 18, Hurts evaded another hellacious rush and scampered 22 yards down the field for a first down that led later in the drive to a crucial touchdown.
In fact, those two plays embodied not just Hurts’ game, but his entire career in Philadelphia. There are maybe half a dozen NFL quarterbacks capable of that 22-yard run. There are even fewer with the presence of mind, the coolness under pressure late in a close game, to execute that escape.
I actually went back to watch that run again, just to gauge whether the crowd was as appreciative of his effort there as it was critical of his previous play. Let the record show it was not. Even now, after two Super Bowls and one parade, the fans are not sure how they feel about their stoic leader.
Well, for what it’s worth, I feel more strongly now than ever that Jalen Hurts is the biggest reason why the Eagles are having one of their most successful eras in team history. Someday — I hope very soon — he will begin to receive the love he deserves here.
In a 24-22 win, Hurts threw three touchdown passes, ran for 46 yards, had a passer rating of 122, covered for a plethora of mistakes by the line in front of him and quieted the early critics who were not impressed by his seventh coordinator in seven seasons, Sean Mannion.
I was one of those people, by the way. After the game, one unidentified Eagle said the difference between Mannion’s play-calling and his predecessor’s, Kevin Patullo, was that the plays came in faster. Otherwise, there was surprisingly little disparity in the nature or the effectiveness of the new system Mannion employed.
And yet, I think the new OC deserves a pass for the low 24-point output against a porous defense. No play-caller could overcome the sad state of the Eagles’ offensive line right now. Landon Dickerson was a matador on Sunday, and Cam Jurgens forgot the rules on holding.
Those guys on the front line should buy dinner for Hurts this week because only his evasiveness and footspeed saved them from an embarrassing loss. New line coach Chris Kuper was everything his past suggested – awful at his job.
It was also more than a little ironic that the best weapon for Hurts on Sunday was not new No. 1 wide receiver DeVonta Smith or 2024 MVP Saquon Barkley. It was a veteran the Eagles have tried to move on from for the past two years, Dallas Goedert, who scored two touchdowns on brilliant throws from Hurts.
Other than a promising start by new wideout Dontayvion Wicks, the offense looked like it did last year, getting Barkley trapped behind the line for losses seven times. Seven times. Shame on those guys up front, and the guy coaching them.
On the other side of the ball, well, I can sum up the performance in two words: Zack Baun. He was wherever the ball was, all day, finishing with 12 tackles. I know this will not sit well with Eagles fans, but Tom Brady – who had a terrific game as the Fox analyst – brilliantly chronicled the impact the Eagles linebacker was having throughout the game. Baun may have had his best game as an Eagle.
No, I won’t leave out Moro Ojomo, the defensive lineman who snuffed the two-point conversion by burying TE John Bates on a really ridiculous shovel pass. If the game went to overtime, I’m not so sure we would all be celebrating today.
Nor will I omit the work of coordinator Vic Fangio and the secondary, which made irrelevant an Eagle-killer of the past, Terry McLaurin, for most of the game. Again, though, it does raise questions about the Washington strategy, which should have demanded a major role for the best pass-catcher on the team. No?
Other than the line being a bit winded toward the end, it’s pretty clear already that the Birds will go only as far as the defense will take them. Of course, it would be much easier for them if they managed more than one sack, for the loss of one yard, in the entire contest. (Is it too early to coax Brandon Graham out of retirement again?)
Finally, though he earned higher billing than this, Braden Mann proved how much of an impact a punter can have. Mann blasted one ball 62 yards, averaged 52, and pinned the Commanders inside the 20-yard line on four separate occasions. Every time Mann drops back to punt, I wonder again how GM Howie Roseman managed to steal this guy.
Finally, as always, the biggest stars were the fans who braved both the humidity and the stupidity to support the Eagles like few other places in the world. Even with the boos aimed at Hurts, the crowd was there when needed the most, at the end of a tight season opener.
Hey, now it’s on to Tennessee.
Let’s hope the offense line learns how to block by then.
A few other thoughts. . . .
- There is one time, every single year, when even a crusty old fool like me is transported back to the childhood memory of my first big sports event. That’s the opening kickoff of every Eagles season, a moment when nothing is impossible, when five months of thrills await all of us. I will never understand people who don’t love sports.
- In the annals of stupid celebrations, the decision by Stefon Diggs to mount and then hug the goalpost after his big touchdown catch has to rank in the top 10. The 15-yard penalty cost his team a chance to tie the game with a two-point conversion. Afterwards, he said: “Oh, I forgot.”
- I am no fan of Rob Manfred – far from it – but I have to admit that the pace-of-game rules and now the ABS challenge system have improved the game significantly and have been integrated into the game rather seamlessly. Now let’s see how the commissioner handles the impending lockout. I have a feeling he will not do so well on that test.
- The Phillies have been meticulous in their handling of starting pitchers, rarely exceeding the 100-pitch benchmark. For this dedication, they have had every starter except Aaron Nola go down with arm injuries in the past two seasons. At the moment, Jesus Luzardo is out with a sore shoulder. Is it time yet for the Phils to take another look at how to keep their pitchers healthy?
- My laugh of the week in Philadelphia came in an anonymous quote by a “local sports executive” that the Eagles media covers the team “like it’s the White House.” The article containing the quote was in Philadelphia Magazine. It was not intended to elicit laughs. All I can conclude is that either the White House press corps has become an army of ass-kissers, or that the exec who said it is employed by the Eagles.