The Philadelphia Eagles kicked off the 2026 NFL season with a 24-22 victory over the division-rival Washington Commanders. With the win, the Eagles started the season 1-0 for the sixth straight year.
It wasn’t necessarily a dominant victory, but a win is a win. While it was only one game, it’s never too early to look at how the Eagles stack up against the league’s other 31 teams. Here is a roundup and review of some national NFL power rankings and where the Eagles stand in each.
Where the Eagles Are Ranked in NFL Power Rankings After Week 1
- ESPN: 6
- Sports Illustrated: 12
- NFL.com: 11
- CBS: 7
What National Pundits Are Saying About the Eagles
Opinions regarding the Eagles vary after their Week 1 win over Washington. Some pundits, including CBS’ Pete Prisco, were impressed with Philadelphia’s ability to pull out a tough division win thanks to a couple of offensive stars.
“It wasn’t pretty against the Commanders, but there were good signs,” Prisco wrote. “Saquon Barkley averaged 5.5 per rush and Jalen Hurts threw three touchdown passes.”
Meanwhile, NFL.com’s Nick Shook wants to see more from the Birds moving forward.
“The Eagles didn’t start the season like a well-oiled machine, but they were able to rely on their defense for a good portion of Sunday’s opener and received some timely contributions from Jalen Hurts and the offense to outlast the Commanders,” Shook wrote. “Philadelphia can be proud of starting 1-0, but the Eagles likely understand they’ll need to be better over the long haul to achieve their goals.”
A Performance to Build off of for the Eagles
Moving forward, the Eagles clearly have some areas that they need to clean up. As a unit, the offensive line will need to play much better than it did against Washington, and the team will have to find a way to get star wide receiver DeVonta Smith more involved in the offense. Smith caught just three passes for 53 yards against the Commanders.
Overall though, there were plenty of positives from Philly’s season-opening win over Washington, and it’s certainly something the Eagles can build off of as they head to Tennessee to take on the Titans in Week 2.
