September 15, 2026
Colleen Claggett/for PhillyVoice
Dontayvion Wicks had a good performance in his Eagles debut.
Are power rankings completely dumb and meaningless? Yes. Yes, they are. However, personally speaking, whenever I see them, I click. And now that I've sucked you in with promises of many power rankings, you'll read it and like it.
Here's where people around the country have the Eagles ranked before Week 2 of the regular season. Oh, and here's our version of these sellout rankings, too.
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. 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.
#JimmySays: The Eagles got a favorable start to the season from the schedule makers, starting with the Commanders at home, and then the woeful Tennessee Titans Week 2. It is almost like a college football schedule, where a top-ranked team will schedule a few softies before being forced to play some real games, like, I dunno, Penn State playing Marshall, Temple, and Buffalo their first three games.
Non-QB newcomer debut: WR Dontayvion Wicks
Wicks had two catches for 73 yards and a touchdown against the Commanders. His 64-yard catch-and-run in the first half marked the longest reception of his career, providing a much-needed spark to the Eagles' new-look offense. Wicks, acquired via trade from the Packers in April, has assumed the role of WR2 behind DeVonta Smith. Hurts and Wicks built a rapport over the spring and summer, and it translated to Week 1.
#JimmySays: I didn't realize that that was Wicks' longest career reception. In fact, his previous career-long reception was just 36 yards. That does make sense. Wicks ran 4.62 at the 2023 Combine, which is slower than most linebackers these days. He is a route-running wizard with impressive shake who is very difficult to jam at the line of scrimmage. He is typically going to be more of a factor as a chain-mover in the intermediate areas of the field.
But what was good to see about Wicks' long reception is that Jalen Hurts trusts him to go make a play.
They're 6-0 in openers under HC Nick Sirianni and QB Jalen Hurts. And whatever the skeptics − hand raised − might think, Philly has yet to miss the playoffs with that duo, either.
#JimmySays: 18th, lol. Obviously, being ranked in the bottom half of the league means that some teams that lost Week 1 are ahead of them. One of those teams is the Cowboys, who had one of the worst defensive performances of the last decade Week 1. Another was the Saints, who have zero playoff appearances the last five years, verses, you know, five for the Eagles. That's a laughable lack of respect for a team that is inarguably among the top two franchises of the last half decade.
The first look at new coordinator Sean Mannion's scheme wasn't great. Only the Steelers' offense had a lower success rate than the Eagles through Sunday's games. Jalen Hurts made some big plays, many of which were him creating something when nothing was open, and that saved the win. There's a long way to go for the offense.
#JimmySays: It's rare these days when an offense overall looks like crap, but the quarterback has a great game. Randall Cunningham used to live in that world back in the day.
What we learned: Jalen Hurts can still produce moments
The final box score isn’t going to instill a ton of faith that the Eagles’ offense has suddenly morphed back into one of the league’s best. But Hurts made enough big plays when his team needed him, connecting on a deep ball and improvising with his legs on a third-and-18 conversion to offer hope as Philadelphia settles into this new offensive scheme under Sean Mannion.
#JimmySays: I'm curious what Eagles fans would prefer:
It wasn't pretty against the Commanders, but there were good signs. Saquon Barkley averaged 5.5 per rush and Jalen Hurts threw three touchdown passes.
#JimmySays: CBS with the 🔥 analysis, as always.
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