Moro Ojomo got there before the ball did. With 1:01 left on the clock and the Commanders needing two points to tie the game at 24, Washington called a shovel pass to tight end John Bates. Ojomo wrapped him up instantly, the conversion failed, and the Eagles escaped with a 24-22 win over their NFC East rivals on Sunday.
Jayden Daniels had just thrown a 1-yard touchdown pass on third-and-goal to Antonio Williams, the Commanders' second touchdown of the fourth quarter. The 2-point try was the game's final meaningful play. Ojomo's stop sealed Philadelphia's sixth straight season-opening win under coach Nick Sirianni, a streak that now dates back to 2021.
The Eagles' offense looked sharp early under new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. Hurts threw for 203 yards and three touchdowns in Mannion's debut, the fifth coordinator in five seasons for the quarterback. The early returns were promising, particularly for tight end Dallas Goedert, who finished with four catches for 77 yards and two touchdowns.
The first big strike came late in the first quarter. On a play-action pass, Hurts found Dontayvion Wicks for a 64-yard reception, the longest of the receiver's career. Wicks, acquired in an April trade from Green Bay, provided the first signal that the Eagles might be fine at wideout after trading disgruntled star A.J. Brown to New England. Hurts finished that drive with a dart down the middle to Goedert for a 17-yard score and a 7-3 lead.
New No. 1 receiver DeVonta Smith had just two targets in the first half and three catches overall. The tight end position carried the load. Goedert, who posted a career-high 11 touchdown catches last season, proved again he is a trusted target.
Hurts added a 9-yard touchdown pass to Wicks in the second quarter for a 14-3 lead. Saquon Barkley, who tailed off last season after rushing for more than 2,000 yards in 2024 when the Eagles won the Super Bowl, ripped off a 42-yard run to set up that score.
The offense cooled off considerably after that. A shaky offensive line gave Hurts little time to throw, and the unit stalled for long stretches. Philadelphia's defense, anchored by linebacker Zack Baun, kept Daniels contained for most of the afternoon. The Commanders quarterback went 18 of 34 for 164 yards and rarely had room to operate until the fourth quarter.
Daniels avoided a sack, spun and scrambled for a 13-yard gain on the final play of the third quarter. He then hit a wide-open Williams for a 33-yard gain and found Stefon Diggs after the veteran receiver beat Cooper DeJean in the slot for a 10-yard touchdown. Diggs, whose string of personal issues made him available even after he had 99 catches for 1,123 yards for the AFC champion New England Patriots, was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct when he jumped and bear-hugged the goal post before landing on his back.
The 15-yard penalty forced the Commanders to settle for the extra point instead of attempting a two-point conversion, making it 17-16.
Hurts responded on the next drive with a 43-yard touchdown pass to Goedert, restoring a 24-16 lead. The Commanders kept pushing. Drew Stevens kicked a 55-yard field goal and Jacory Croskey-Merritt added a 1-yard run that cut the Eagles' lead to 14-9 at halftime. Jake Elliott's 35-yard field goal with 44 seconds left in the third quarter stretched the lead to 17-9.
The Commanders' final rally fell short. They got the Williams touchdown and then watched Ojomo blow up the 2-point try. The Eagles improved to 6-0 in season openers under Sirianni.
Injuries hit Washington during the loss. Linebacker Frankie Luvu suffered a groin injury, tight end Chip Okonkow had a hamstring injury, and safety Tyler Owens injured an ankle.
The Commanders stay in the NFC East next Sunday with a game at Dallas. The Eagles travel to Tennessee.
According to Yahoo Sports.