We have finally arrived at Week 1 of the 2026 season. It might have felt like a slow crawl at times, but we are just days away from getting our first real look at the Washington Commanders' roster in the third year of the Dan Quinn era. The first matchup is against the Philadelphia Eagles, which is certainly a difficult opponent for a season opener, but the team is confident in the talent they have on the field, and it's an opportunity to see how they stack up against the defending division champs.
Let's dive into what Commanders fans want to know this week.
**@JustUrAvgFlyGuy: I have sooooooooo many questions 🤔**
**1\. Will our run defense stuff Saquon**
**2\. Will our front 7 wreak havoc & force turnovers & get sacks**
**3\. Will our OL open up running lanes**
**4\. Will our OL allow Jayden to air it out?**
**5\. How much do we win by???**
Okay, so let's break these down one at a time.
1) I think it's hard to say that any team will stuff Saquon Barkley. Although the 2025 season was a step back from his 2,000-yard campaign in 2024, he has been one of the most dominant running backs over the last two seasons.
I am curious about a few different factors here. How does Barkley adapt to running more outside zone plays, which I've heard Philadelphia could use more of in its new offense? I want to know how the Eagles' offensive line adapts to having a new position coach. Yes, they're going to be good, but will there be an adaptation phase with new blocking schemes? And assuming K'Lavon Chaisson and Odafe Oweh play, can their speed and athleticism negate some of Barkley's explosiveness? I certainly think that's a possibility, but it's hard to guarantee anything against Barkley.
2) Daronte Jones comes from a system that thrives on creating chaos at the line of scrimmage, which hopefully leads to more turnovers. Now, Philadelphia is one of the hardest teams to force turnovers against. They had just 15 giveaways last season, and for all Jalen Hurts' other issues as a passer, he's good at protecting the ball. I think the best way for them to wreak havoc is by forcing Hurts to get rid of the ball quickly and make bad decisions. That might not lead to turnovers, but it could disrupt the Eagles' flow on offense, which can be just as effective.
3) That's going to be one of the biggest questions of the weekend. The Commanders are going to try and run the football. It's one of the ways they want to take some of the pressure off Jayden Daniels' shoulders. It's possible for them to have success, but it's going to be ugly. That's more about the Eagles' front than the state of the Commanders' offensive line. Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis are a formidable duo that will give most offensive lines trouble. So, to answer your question, yes, but they will need to stick with it. Even on a good day, finding room against the Eagles is difficult.
4) I think this will depend more on David Blough and the scheme. That's not to say the offensive line will be a nonfactor, but I feel like the best way to give Daniels a chance to use his arm is to get him running away from pressure with bootlegs and other play-action passes. We also need to see Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs win downfield.
5) Predictions are so tough, especially for Week 1, but I will say that I believe Washington has a good chance to surprise some people in Philadelphia.