Most fans check the final score, glance at the top passer’s line and move on. That habit hides the real story. The Philadelphia Eagles vs Washington Commanders match player stats contain turning points, coaching decisions and individual performances that no highlight package fully explains.
This guide goes through every position group, every pressure situation and every overlooked metric that shaped the outcome. Whether you support Philadelphia or Washington, the numbers below will change how you watch this NFC East rivalry.
You will find verified figures from the most recent meeting, a head-to-head comparison, and an update on the next game in the series. Read it through and you will know exactly which stats matter and why.
Latest Update: Philadelphia Eagles vs Washington Commanders Match Player Stats From the 2026 Opener
The two teams opened the 2026 season against each other at Lincoln Financial Field, and Philadelphia escaped with a 24-22 win. The Commanders scored 13 points in the fourth quarter and had a two-point conversion attempt stopped in the final minute, so the margin was far thinner than the winners’ offensive numbers suggest.
Top Individual Performances
Jalen Hurts decided the game. He completed 14 of 25 passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, finishing with a 122.2 passer rating. He also added 46 rushing yards on seven carries, including a 22-yard scramble that kept a drive alive.
Dallas Goedert was his favorite target. The veteran tight end caught four passes for 77 yards and two touchdowns, including a 17-yard score and a 43-yard catch-and-run in the fourth quarter. Dontayvion Wicks added a 64-yard reception and a 9-yard touchdown, while DeVonta Smith contributed a 31-yard catch.
For Washington, Jayden Daniels finished 18 of 34 for 164 yards and two touchdowns, adding 31 rushing yards on five attempts. Stefon Diggs and Antonio Williams caught the touchdown passes, and Jacory Croskey-Merritt ran for 63 yards and a score on 16 carries.
Saquon Barkley carried 15 times for 83 yards with a long run of 42, which kept Philadelphia’s ground numbers healthy even though the offense sputtered after halftime.
What the Team Numbers Revealed
Philadelphia gained 318 total yards on just 53 plays, a 6.0 yards-per-play average. Washington produced 295 yards on 67 plays at 4.4 per snap and held the ball for more than 33 minutes. Neither team committed a turnover. The Eagles won because of explosive plays, not volume.
Week 8 Update: The Rematch at Northwest Stadium
The series returns quickly. The Eagles visit Washington on Sunday Night Football, with kickoff at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC and streaming on Peacock. The Eagles arrive at 2-5 after a five-game losing streak, and the Commanders come off a bye at 1-4-1.
Pregame reports flagged injury concerns at quarterback and wide receiver for Philadelphia, so check the final inactive lists before kickoff. One notable matchup detail: Squawka’s data shows Washington allowing opponents to finish 81.8 percent of red zone trips and converting only 30.9 percent of its own third downs, both marks among the league’s worst.
Washington holds a 46-42-3 all-time record against Philadelphia at home, and the Commanders are 2-2 against the Eagles on Sunday Night Football. This page tracks the series, so expect fresh numbers after this game.
Why This NFC East Rivalry Produces Wild Numbers Every Season
Few rivalries in professional football are older or more heated. The two franchises have met well over 180 times, and the intensity rarely changes regardless of the standings.
What makes the matchup statistically interesting is the clash of identities. Philadelphia typically builds around a powerful offensive line and a quarterback who extends plays with his legs. Washington has spent recent years rebuilding its defensive front and relying on explosive skill players to create big plays from broken situations.
That contrast produces extreme variance from quarter to quarter. One team can control the clock for a half, then the other can score three times in a dozen frantic minutes. The Week 1 result followed that pattern exactly, with Philadelphia winning on big plays while Washington won the possession battle.
Divisional familiarity adds emotional fuel. Players know their opponents well after facing them twice a year, which tends to bring extra penalties, more physical contact and dramatic late-game swings than a typical non-division Sunday.
Quarterback Showdown: Passing Stats That Explain the Result
The quarterback position settles most Eagles-Commanders games long before the final quarter. Both franchises have invested heavily in signal-callers who can win from the pocket and outside it.
Start with efficiency. In the opener, Hurts averaged 8.1 yards per attempt and Daniels averaged roughly 4.8. Across 25 to 35 attempts, that gap works out to a large difference in field position, and it explains why Philadelphia scored three passing touchdowns on far fewer plays.
Completion Percentage, Air Yards and Pressure
Raw completion percentage can mislead. A quarterback can complete seven of every ten passes and still play poorly if most throws stop a few yards past the line of scrimmage.
Depth of target tells you more. Philadelphia’s passing game generated 138 air yards on 25 attempts in Week 1, while Washington managed only 93 air yards on 34 attempts. Daniels’ receivers also dropped four passes, which pushed his completion rate down to 53 percent and kept the offense behind schedule.
Pressure data adds another layer. The Eagles sacked Daniels once but Washington sacked Hurts three times for 21 yards. Even so, Hurts’ composure under pressure produced the day’s biggest plays, which is why he stayed efficient despite an uneven offensive line performance in the second half.
Red Zone Efficiency and Third-Down Conversions
Games in this rivalry are usually settled inside the 20. Teams that turn red zone trips into touchdowns rather than field goals tend to win, and Washington’s season-long red zone defense shows how costly failures there can be.
Third-down success follows the same logic. The team that stays on schedule controls the clock and leaves the opposing defense tired by the fourth quarter. Washington’s possession edge in the opener, 33:20 to 26:40, came from sustained drives that produced 20 first downs against Philadelphia’s 10. Those drives still stalled, which is why Philadelphia kept the lead.
Ground Game: Rushing Yards and Breakaway Runs
Do not let the passing numbers distract you from the trenches. The running game controls tempo in nearly every meeting, and rushing totals reveal which line dominated the physical battle.
Philadelphia’s offensive line has long ranked among the best in run blocking, and the Week 1 totals reflect it. The Eagles rushed 25 times for 136 yards, a 5.4 yards-per-carry average, including Barkley’s 42-yard run and Hurts’ 22-yard scramble. Both runs came against a Washington front that had been among the league’s weakest in run defense the previous year.
Washington’s ground game was steadier but less explosive. The Commanders ran 32 times for 132 yards, averaging 4.1 per carry with a longest rush of 14. Their rushing attack kept the offense on the field, but without a breakaway run they needed long drives to score.
Yards After Contact and Missed Tackles
Yards after contact separates good backs from great ones. Philadelphia’s runners produced 85 yards after contact on 25 carries in the opener, compared with 58 for Washington on 32 carries. That difference shows the Eagles’ backs finishing runs with force even when the blocking was not perfect.
Tackling also mattered. Each defense recorded eight missed tackles, and fatigue tends to expose that weakness late. Washington’s late-game scoring surge came partly from Philadelphia’s defenders struggling to wrap up in space after a long afternoon on the field.
Defensive Player Stats That Shaped the Game
Offense sells tickets, but the defensive side of the Philadelphia Eagles vs Washington Commanders match player stats is where the strategic chess match unfolds. Both rosters feature pass rushers who can wreck a game plan with one series.
Philadelphia blitzed 23 times and sent heavy pressure at Daniels, finishing with six hurries and two quarterback hits. Washington went even harder with 31 blitzes, producing three sacks and ten tackles for loss, a number that explains why the Eagles’ offense struggled to sustain drives after halftime.
Sacks, Pressures and Secondary Play
Sack totals grab Monday-morning headlines, but pressure rate predicts success better. A defensive end with one sack and eight total pressures often disrupts more than a player with two sacks and nothing else.
The secondary completes the picture. When coverage and pass rush work together, quarterbacks are forced into hurried throws. Both defenses recorded two passes defended in the opener, and neither intercepted a pass, so the game turned on pressure and tackling rather than takeaways.
Turnover Differential and Its Impact on Scoring
Turnover margin remains one of the most reliable predictors of winning in football. Teams that win the turnover battle by even one possession win a large majority of games.
The 2026 opener was unusual because neither side lost the football. When both quarterbacks protect the ball, the outcome comes down to explosive plays, special teams and late-game execution, which is exactly what happened. Expect turnovers to carry heavy weight whenever a game in this series is tight.
Wide Receiver and Tight End Performance Metrics
Skill players create the highlights, but the underlying numbers show who earned production and who benefited from late volume.
Philadelphia’s receivers produced 14 catches for 203 yards and three touchdowns on 22 targets, an average of 14.5 yards per reception. Yards after the catch accounted for 65 of those yards, showing the offense got space to run after the ball arrived.
Washington’s receiving group caught 18 passes for 164 yards, an average of 9.1 per catch, with a longest reception of 33. The Commanders’ two touchdowns both came from short throws, and their drops hurt them badly when drives needed momentum.
Tight ends are the quiet difference-makers in this rivalry. Goedert’s two touchdowns in the opener continued a pattern of Philadelphia tight ends exploiting Washington’s middle-of-the-field coverage. Washington’s offense also shifts noticeably when its tight ends get involved early, so watch the first quarter targets closely.
Special Teams Stats Most Fans Overlook
Special teams account for a meaningful share of plays in every game, yet casual fans skip the numbers. That is a mistake when you study the Philadelphia Eagles vs Washington Commanders match player stats.
Field position often decides who scores first. Philadelphia punted seven times in the opener and pinned Washington inside the 20 four times, while the Commanders’ six punts never reached that mark. The Eagles’ average net punt of 44.0 yards slightly topped Washington’s 43.5.
Return units showed the opposite edge. Washington averaged 30.8 yards on five kickoff returns compared with Philadelphia’s 25.0 on three, and the Commanders also averaged more per punt return.
Kicking tells another story. Washington’s kicker D. Stevens made a 55-yard field goal and missed another try from beyond 50, and his extra point was blocked, a single point that mattered when the Commanders failed on the final two-point attempt. Jake Elliott made his only attempt from 35 yards. In a two-point game, those small margins decided the result.
Head-to-Head Player Stats Comparison Table
The tables below compare the two teams and starting quarterbacks from the most recent meeting, the 2026 opener, using verified box score numbers.
Team Comparison
| Stat Category | Philadelphia Eagles | Washington Commanders | Edge |
| Final Score | 24 | 22 | Eagles |
| Total Yards | 318 | 295 | Eagles |
| Offensive Plays | 53 | 67 | Commanders |
| Yards Per Play | 6.0 | 4.4 | Eagles |
| Passing Yards | 203 | 164 | Eagles |
| Rushing Yards | 136 | 132 | Eagles |
| Yards Per Carry | 5.4 | 4.1 | Eagles |
| Sacks Taken | 3 | 1 | Commanders |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 | Even |
| First Downs | 10 | 20 | Commanders |
| Time of Possession | 26:40 | 33:20 | Commanders |
| Punts Inside the 20 | 4 | 0 | Eagles |
| Kick Return Average | 25.0 | 30.8 | Commanders |
Quarterback Comparison
| Quarterback Stat | Jalen Hurts | Jayden Daniels | Edge |
| Completions / Attempts | 14 / 25 | 18 / 34 | Hurts |
| Passing Yards | 203 | 164 | Hurts |
| Touchdowns | 3 | 2 | Hurts |
| Interceptions | 0 | 0 | Even |
| Rushing Yards | 46 | 31 | Hurts |
| Sacked | 3 | 1 | Daniels |
The Eagles lead the efficiency categories that win games, namely yards per play, yards per carry and passing output, while Washington owns the volume categories of possession and first downs. That split explains the two-point final margin.
Washington’s path to closing the gap runs through finishing drives. The Commanders gained more first downs and held the ball longer but scored fewer points, which points to red zone and late-down execution as the areas to fix.
Final Thoughts: What These Numbers Mean Going Forward
The Philadelphia Eagles vs Washington Commanders match player stats tell a story that extends well beyond the scoreboard. Every snap, pressure and conversion feeds into a broader picture of roster construction and coaching philosophy.
Philadelphia’s advantage in explosive plays and quarterback efficiency gives it a structural edge in this rivalry. When Hurts connects downfield and the running game finds creases, the offense can score quickly even when it loses the possession battle.
Washington is far from finished. Better drop control, sharper red zone finishing and fewer special teams mistakes could flip the margin quickly, especially with the Commanders rested for the Week 8 rematch at home.
Keep two numbers in front of you the next time these teams meet: yards per play and red zone touchdown rate. Together they usually reveal who is truly winning long before the clock reaches zero.
Bookmark this page and return after the next game for updated figures. This rivalry rarely disappoints, and the numbers behind it keep getting more interesting.