The Green Bay Packers are making an early statement this season. After crushing the Lions in Week 1, they followed it up with another convincing win, beating the Washington Commanders 27-18 on Thursday night.
Jordan Love was sharp again, throwing for 292 yards and two touchdowns, with tight end Tucker Kraft emerging as his go-to weapon. Kraft hauled in six catches for 124 yards and a score. On defense, Micah Parsons didn’t fill the stat sheet just half a sack but his presence was impossible to ignore. Green Bay sacked rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels four times and smothered Washington’s passing attack all night.
The game started slow, with Packers receiver Jayden Reed leaving early with a shoulder injury. But things quickly turned in Green Bay’s favor on their second drive when Love hit Kraft on a 57-yard strike down the middle. Love capped the possession with a short touchdown to Romeo Doubs.
Washington’s offense didn’t pick up a single first down in the opening quarter a first since Daniels took over. Meanwhile, Green Bay kept rolling. Malik Heath made a highlight-reel, twisting 37-yard catch to set up Josh Jacobs’ two-yard touchdown run.
Things only got worse for Washington when defensive lineman Deatrich Wise Jr. was carted off with a quad injury. The Commanders finally got points from a 51-yard Matt Gay field goal, but he missed from 58 just before halftime. Green Bay kicker Brandon McManus also hit the upright from 48 yards as time expired.
The Commanders closed the gap to 17-10 on a Zach Ertz touchdown in the third quarter, but the Packers answered immediately. Love found Kraft again for an eight-yard score, and McManus later drilled a 56-yarder to push the lead to 27-10. Washington tacked on a late touchdown from Daniels to Deebo Samuel Sr., but it wasn’t nearly enough. To make matters worse, running back Austin Ekeler went down with a non-contact Achilles injury and had to be carted off.
Green Bay improves to 2-0 and heads to Cleveland next week, while Washington, now 1-1, will look to regroup against the Raiders.
Takeaways
Parsons leads relentless pass rush
Washington knows Micah Parsons well from his Dallas days, and he gave them fits again. He now has 11 sacks in nine career games against the Commanders. Even on limited snaps, Parsons was a constant problem, drawing penalties and freeing up teammates. Rashan Gary and Devonte Wyatt each had sacks, while Edgerrin Cooper, Karl Brooks, and Barryn Sorrell all chipped in half-sacks.
Daniels never got comfortable. He ran for just 17 yards, and Washington finished with only 51 on the ground. His 4.8 yards per pass attempt were the lowest of his career in a full game.
Love and Kraft spark explosive offense
Love spread the ball around, completing eight passes of 15 yards or more to five different receivers. Kraft stood out with three of those plays, showing why he led all tight ends in yards after catch last season. He broke tackles, picked up extra yards, and gave Love a reliable big-play target.
Love, meanwhile, extended his streak to nine straight games without an interception, tying Aaron Rodgers for the second-longest by a Packers quarterback since 1950. Green Bay is now 13-4 in games where Love doesn’t turn the ball over.
Commanders’ offense sputters
Washington’s 18 points looked better on paper than it did on the field. Rookie tackle Josh Conerly Jr. had a rough night trying to contain Parsons. Daniels struggled to push the ball downfield, completing just one of seven attempts of 15 yards or more. With the run game shut down, the Commanders managed only 230 total yards their lowest since Daniels became the starter.
