From PhillyVoice · · 2m
The punter won the Eagles their opener
Philadelphia beat Washington 24-22 on a day when the sloppiest unit was the offense and the steadiest was a guy who kicks the ball away.
In brief
Philadelphia beat Washington 24-22 on a day when the sloppiest unit was the offense and the steadiest was a guy who kicks the ball away. When a game is stuck at a standstill, field position is a weapon, and Braden Mann handed the Eagles one on all seven of his punts. Originally reported by PhillyVoice.
A punt that refused to bounce
Jaylin Lane backed off expecting a touchback. The ball hopped left along the hash marks and died at the Washington 2-yard line.
“Instead, the ball landed and took a taunting hop left along the hash marks, dying completely still in the grass at the Washington 2-yard line.”
Thirty-three seconds, no threat
Mann's coffin corner pin came with 33 seconds left in the half. Washington just ran the ball forward and let the clock die.
Eagles 24, Commanders 22
Philadelphia opened 1-0 at Lincoln Financial Field. The win was real, the performance was a mixed bag.
The defense started scary
Zack Baun and Vic Fangio's unit held Washington to nine points through three quarters, looking as imposing as any recent Eagles defense.
Then the cracks showed
Asked to protect the lead over and over, the tackling got uncharacteristically sloppy and Jayden Daniels put together two fourth-quarter scoring drives.
Ojomo saved it
Washington's comeback came down to a 2-point try. Moro Ojomo made the stop that decided the afternoon.
The new offense, in flashes
Sean Mannion's first game as playcaller had moments: Dontayvion Wicks breaking ankles, Jalen Hurts hitting Dallas Goedert on a seam route for a score.
And then stuck in mud
For every clean series there were one or two where the pocket collapsed instantly and Saquon Barkley ran into a wall. The offensive line is a legitimate worry.
“it was like they had to be matched with one or two more that got stuck in the mud”
Narrow margins magnify specials
A close game that sat at a standstill turns every small edge into a big one. That is where special teams stop being an afterthought.
“every little advantage counts, which means special teams can make a massive difference”
Seven punts, 51.6 yards
Mann was called on seven times and averaged about 51.6 yards a kick. Five landed inside Washington's 15, four inside the 10.
Washington never scored off one
Not a single point came off a Mann punt. Four of those pinned drives ended in quick three-and-outs.
The lifeline in a messy win
Hurts' efficiency and the tackling will get picked apart all week. Field position is the reason none of it cost Philadelphia the game.
“But for as rough as it got, the Eagles always had a lifeline when it came to field position.”
What matters most
When a game is stuck at a standstill, field position is a weapon, and Braden Mann handed the Eagles one on all seven of his punts.
