The Philadelphia Eagles open their 2026 season against the Washington Commanders, and while there’s a lot of unknown heading into Week 1, this matchup sets up well for a team that should be motivated to prove last season was a fluke.

The Eagles’ defense under Vic Fangio, the new offensive scheme under Sean Mannion, and the Commanders’ roster limitations all point toward a Philadelphia win to kick things off.

Eagles’ defense has to eliminate the big play

The biggest key on the defensive side is simple: the Eagles cannot give up the big play. Under Fangio, Philadelphia has been miles better at locking things down on the back end. I do have some questions at safety, but Fangio confirmed Marcus Epps will start alongside Andrew Mukuba, and we know how talented that cornerback room is.

The thing is, Washington does have some playmakers on the outside. Terry McLaurin can burn you at any time. Stefon Diggs is still a capable offensive weapon. And Jayden Daniels with his legs presents a different kind of challenge. The Eagles need to be tight on the back end and not let those guys get behind them. They started giving up big plays again at the end of last season, and that cannot carry over into 2026.

Getting pressure on Daniels will be huge, too. Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis are going to want to make a statement. Both guys got paid this offseason, and that tandem could be one of the best interior defensive line combos in the NFL this season. So all that to say, I don’t really have a lot of questions about the Eagles’ defense. Fangio will be prepared. Yes, Daniels is capable of doing special things, but Washington’s offensive line is not good and not healthy right now. Their running backs don’t scare me either. This just doesn’t strike me as a team we should be afraid of.

Sean Mannion’s offense needs to show us something new

The big key on the other side of the ball is getting into a rhythm. Establish the run. Use Saquon Barkley, use Tank Bigsby, shoot, use Jalen Hurts with his legs a little bit. Be deceptive and creative. I would rather see creativity incorporated in Week 1 and maybe not convert as many plays than watch the Eagles trot out a vanilla offense and give us no hope that things are going to be different from last year.

Go under center, run bootlegs and rollouts, launch one down the field off play action. That’s what I want to see. There’s so much unknown because Philadelphia did a good job concealing the playbook during the preseason. Mannion and the coaching staff kept saying they weren’t going to reveal their cards until the regular season. Well, this is Week 1. You’re here now. Show up and make it happen.

Hurts has to be smart with the football, and the Eagles need to convert in the red zone when they get down there. They did a decent job of that last year, but there was a lot left on the table. This is a really good matchup to get your warm-up in, almost like taking batting practice. I’m not saying to snooze on the Commanders as if they can’t win a football game. What I’m saying is Washington doesn’t have a great roster. This is Philly’s chance to try things, to open up the field and let it unleash. We saw on Thursday night with the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams that you can talk about who has the greatest roster, the greatest quarterback, the greatest head coach all you want. None of it matters if you don’t show up and handle business on Sunday.

Eagles win prediction: 26-13

It’ll be a little sloppy out of the gate. It’ll take Mannion and the Eagles offense a few drives to get going, but once they do, they will have enough of a leash because Fangio is going to shut down Daniels and the Commanders’ offense. I am guaranteeing that. Philadelphia may not have a perfect game, but they will do enough to get a win in Week 1. Final score: 26-13, Eagles cover. Saquon breaks off a big run, and the Eagles put together a good start to the season.