The Washington Commanders fell short to the Philadelphia Eagles, 24-22, on Sunday.

Washington had some positives to take away from Sunday’s loss, but several missed opportunities ultimately proved costly. The Commanders’ defense made life difficult for quarterback Jalen Hurts, but Jayden Daniels struggled to find his rhythm for much of the afternoon. Mike Sainristil also struggled in coverage, allowing several big plays that put the Commanders’ defense in difficult situations. And rookie kicker Drew Stevens and wide receiver Stefon Diggs each had crucial mistakes when Washington needed to capitalize.

Let's take a deeper look at some of these takeaways from Washington's Week 1 loss.

The Commanders’ front seven consistently pressured Hurts and disrupted Philadelphia’s offense, making several plays behind the line of scrimmage.

Team captain Frankie Luvu recorded a sack late in the first quarter, taking down Hurts for a nine-yard loss on third down. He also finished with one tackle for loss and one quarterback hit.

Rookie Sonny Styles recorded his first career NFL sack in the third quarter, bringing Hurts down for a six-yard loss. Styles also recorded two tackles for loss and one quarterback hit, showing the impact he can have as an aggressive piece of Washington’s defense. It was a much different story than during training camp and the preseason, when there were concerns about his production.

New star pass rusher Odafe Oweh added a sack of his own later in the third quarter, bringing Hurts down for another six-yard loss. Oweh also finished with two tackles for loss and one quarterback hit, further showing the impact he can have on Washington’s defense.

While Nick Cross and his team-high eight tackles was a bright spot, Mike Sainristil had a difficult afternoon in coverage against the Eagles, and his struggles quickly became a problem for Washington’s defense.

Late in the first quarter, Sainristil was beaten on a deep pass to Dontayvion Wicks that went for 64 yards, setting Philadelphia up inside Washington's 10-yard line. The Eagles turned the big play into their first touchdown of the afternoon. Wicks later beat Sainristil again in the second quarter, hauling in a nine-yard touchdown pass from Jalen Hurts.

This is a concerning start for Sainristil, especially after he struggled in coverage throughout the 2025 season. According to Pro Football Reference, Sainristil allowed 733 receiving yards in coverage last season, the seventh-most among NFL cornerbacks, while his nine touchdowns allowed ranked second-most. 

Sainristil is a leader in Washington’s cornerback room and needs to step up. Instead of showing progress, he appears to be regressing, which could become a major concern for the Commanders.

Jayden Daniels had a rough start against the Eagles, struggling to find a rhythm through the first three quarters.

Daniels completed just 6-of-16 passes for 55 yards in the first half and appeared hesitant at times, missing opportunities to Stefon Diggs and Terry McLaurin. McLaurin did not record his first catch until the fourth quarter and finished with just two catches for 14 yards.

Daniels finally found his rhythm in the fourth quarter, throwing touchdown passes to Diggs and rookie Antonio Williams to help bring Washington back into the game. He ultimately put the Commanders in a position to win, but the offense came up short on its final two-point attempt.

The defense deserves a lot of credit for keeping Washington in the game, so Daniels will need to play at a higher level from the start if the Commanders want to consistently win games against teams like Philadelphia.

Washington made several crucial mistakes that ultimately hurt its chances of beating Philadelphia. Rookie kicker Drew Stevens missed a 54-yard field goal and had an extra point blocked, leaving four points on the board. With the Commanders losing by just two points, those missed opportunities proved costly.

Stefon Diggs also committed an unnecessary unsportsmanlike conduct penalty following his touchdown in the fourth quarter, pushing Washington back for the extra point. Head coach Dan Quinn said the Commanders would have gone for two if not for the penalty, which would have given Washington a chance to tie the game.

These are the types of mistakes Washington cannot afford to make if it wants to win close games. Against a team like Philadelphia, every point matters, and the Commanders left too many opportunities on the field Sunday.