4 winners (and 5 losers) from Commanders' agonizing loss against the Eagles

Even though the Washington Commanders suffered an agonizing defeat against the Philadelphia Eagles to begin the campaign, it wasn't all bad. Had it not been for a slow start and some costly errors in key moments, the result may have been a lot different.

Head coach Dan Quinn can't do anything about that now. He knows better than anyone that this is a results business, and fighting hard means nothing if they don't have a win in the column to show for it.

The divisional game at Lincoln Financial Field was decided by fine margins. Washington started slowly, especially on offense, and some sloppy individual mistakes were too much to overcome in the end.

With the Dallas Cowboys and defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks up next, the Commanders are already chasing. If they fall further behind, the pressure on Quinn will build quickly.

Things should become more cohesive as the season goes on. The Commanders have new offensive and defensive systems, and the top stars didn't play much in the preseason. That showed, but Quinn can take heart from the fact that his team never threw in the towel on their way to a late rally.

Even so, they lost, and a lot of hard work remains.

With this in mind, here are four winners and five losers from the Commanders' gut-wrenching loss to the Eagles.

Winners and losers from the Washington Commanders' defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1

Loser No. 1

Nick Allegretti - Commanders OL

Who saw this coming?

Well, almost everybody.

The Commanders preached the importance of competition throughout the offseason. That was not the case at center, with general manager Adam Peters content to roll with backup guard Nick Allegretti as the starter after releasing Tyler Biadasz.

Allegretti missed all of training camp after straining his calf during the first practice. He missed vital reps, but the Commanders did little to build a contingency plan. Peters might want to rethink this strategy after an abysmal showing from the Illinois product in Week 1.

Low snaps, poor communication, and woeful blocking were rife. Allegretti was never going to have it all his own way against Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter, but the veteran looked completely lost.

Winner No. 1

Tyler Owens - Commanders DB

I've been watching football for a long time. And I am struggling to think of a better special-teams play than the one Tyler Owens produced.

Owens was a menace in this critical area of the field all afternoon. His explosiveness, physicality, and relentless effort gave the Eagles nightmares, with the Texas Tech product trucking everything in his way to reach the ball carrier quickly.

This one play, in particular, was nothing short of jaw-dropping.

This typifies the growing excitement building around Owens. Daronte Jones loves him, and the Commanders are finally finding ways to put his exceptional athleticism to better use. If he keeps this up, finding a prominent role in the defensive rotation couldn't be dismissed.

He did get banged up but managed to walk off the field without help. Hopefully, it's nothing too serious, because Owens is generating significant momentum at the right time.

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