The Philadelphia Eagles' offense may be a work in progress, but their 24-22 Week 1 win over the Washington Commanders shows they are trending in the right direction.
All eyes were on quarterback Jalen Hurts and how he would look in the new-look offense led by Sean Mannion. Hurts finished 14-of-25 for 203 yards and three touchdowns. He also added 46 rushing yards on seven carries, including a 22-yard run on third-and-18.
The Eagles still had way too many three-and-outs, and their rushing attack struggled at times. Still, Hurts is showing fans on the field that Mannion might be onto something with the pre-snap motions he has added to the offense.
Sean Mannion add new element to Eagles offense that's only helping Jalen Hurts
CBS Sports writer Doug Clawson examined the Eagles' offense and how they looked in pre-snap motion. Clawson sees signs that Hurts is improving when they show up.
"The Eagles used motion on 62% of their plays in Week 1, their highest rate in the past 10 seasons.
Jalen Hurts avg 10.2 YPA with motion and 3.8 without.
He also threw 2 Pass TD specifically to the player used in pre-snap motion, matching his total from all of 2025."
Hurts connected on three plays for 30 or more yards with his pass catchers, including one for a score. His 64-yard completion to Dontayvion Wicks and 31-yard completion to DeVonta Smith were perfect throws that many outside the Eagles fan base would have questioned.
These pre-snap motions make life easier for Hurts, even if they add complexity before the snap. They throw off the defense and add creativity to the offense, which has been desperately needed for a long time.
Kevin Patullo, as last year's offensive coordinator, was tough to watch, with runs on first and second down and his famous hitch routes on third down.
The Eagles might still want to be a running team first, but the simplest thing- moving a player from one side of the offense to the other makes a difference. That change can create so many different looks for the defense.
These motions greatly help running back Saquon Barkley, and he runs these outside zone plays more often. It gets an extra blocker out there, so he can use his breakaway speed to pick up big runs. That also helps on inside runs in shotgun, as shown by Barkley's 42-yard run in the Commanders game.
Hurts taking more snaps under center has been a joy to watch, since he was great at it last year, but Patullo refused to do it more often. The passing game is in better rhythm when Hurts can get the time to read the defense and make the throw.
Read more: Eagles' front seven should deliver Cam Ward a rude awakening in Week 2
This Eagles offense is really benefiting from the ideas that Mannion has brought to the team, and it's giving Hurts what he's needed for a long time. With a new look, Hurts has a chance to put up great numbers once the offense gels.
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