Packers punch first, hold late: a 27-18 win that looked even sturdier than the score
The Packers didn’t just win; they set the tone. On a national stage, Green Bay controlled most of the night in a 27-18 victory over Washington, a result that pushed them to 2-0 and handed the Commanders their first loss of the season. For three quarters, the Packers dictated pace and field position. Washington’s late surge made the scoreboard tighter, but the gap in rhythm and execution was real.
Green Bay grabbed an early lead and never looked rattled. Jordan Love opened with a sharp tempo and kept it, throwing two touchdowns and spreading the ball without forcing it. When Washington finally woke up in the fourth, cutting the deficit to one possession, the Packers answered with steady offense and tackles in space. That was the story: clean football until the last stretch, then just enough force to close.
Love’s line tells the tale. He went 19-of-31 for 292 yards, two touchdowns, and a 113.9 passer rating. It wasn’t empty yardage either. He won from the pocket, on the move, and off play-action. And he did it while missing starting linemen Zach Tom and Aaron Banks. Protection plans shifted, the ball came out on time, and the reads were decisive. That’s growth fans want to see in Year 3 as the unquestioned starter.
Tucker Kraft stole the night. The tight end turned six catches into 124 yards and a touchdown—his first 100-yard game—and he did it with toughness after the catch. He broke tackles, found soft spots, and kept drives alive. He looked like a featured option, not a safety valve. On a night when Washington’s corners kept a cap on the outside for stretches, Kraft punished the middle and the seams.
Romeo Doubs got the other score—a tidy 5-yarder in the red zone—and played that reliable, chain-moving role he’s carving out. The distribution worked because the design worked. Matt LaFleur leaned into motion, play-action, and quick game concepts to get Love into rhythm. With injuries up front, the Packers used tight ends and backs to help in protection, then picked their shots downfield. The result: 404 total yards and long stretches where Washington couldn’t get the ball back fast enough.
Even with the offensive headline numbers, Green Bay’s defense popped first. The Commanders had just 11 yards in the opening quarter, and it looked even tighter. The rush closed the pocket, the back end kept a lid on explosives, and Washington’s early third downs were a slog. Micah Parsons’ arrival has clearly changed the math. He logged a half-sack and three hurries, but his impact went beyond the stat line—the Packers moved him around, created one-on-ones, and forced protection calls that freed teammates.
Parsons said it straight after the game: they made Washington earn everything and refused to give up big plays. That’s exactly how it looked. Edge pressure forced quicker throws. Interior stunts muddied the pocket. Linebackers and safeties rallied to the ball. When the Commanders tried to stretch the field in the first half, nothing came easy.
Jayden Daniels hung in and made it interesting late. He finished 24-of-42 for 200 yards and two touchdowns, but he took four sacks and lost 21 yards doing it. Early on, he was chasing the rush. By the fourth quarter, he finally found some rhythm with quick throws and red zone execution. It was gutsy, not flashy—more survival than flourish—but it did test Green Bay’s conditioning down the stretch.
Washington’s run game never got going. Nineteen carries produced just 51 rushing yards, a 2.7 average. That forced Daniels into longer downs and invited the rush over and over. Austin Ekeler’s night ended with a right Achilles injury in the fourth quarter after eight carries for 17 yards. That’s troubling for a team built to lean on his versatility. Until the team gets imaging, it’s a waiting game, but the sideline concern felt real.
The Commanders also lost defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. to a quadriceps injury in the second quarter. He was carted off, and coach Dan Quinn had no immediate update after the game. Those are two core pieces on opposite sides of the ball. Any extended absence reshapes Washington’s rotation—Ekeler in the run-pass balance, Wise in edge depth and early-down solidity.
Green Bay’s plan up front deserves credit. Without Tom and Banks, the Packers avoided long-developing designs on early downs, mixed in chips and slides, and forced Washington’s front to guess. They used tempo to prevent exotic pressures and varied snap counts to draw vanilla fronts. When the Commanders tried to heat up the pocket, Love beat it with placement and quick rhythm throws to Kraft and the backs.
On the other side, the Packers’ coverage held up. Corners stayed square, safeties kept the roof solid, and there were almost no clean shots over the top. It mirrored what Parsons said: no freebies. When Washington did score late, it came after patient drives and tight-window throws. That’s the trade you take every time—make an opponent stack 10-play drives and live with the occasional finish.
There’s also a mentality piece here. Green Bay looked comfortable in weight-class games last year but sometimes let teams hang around. This felt different. They closed possessions with points, didn’t blink after a couple of punts, and solved problems on the fly. Love’s composure was obvious. He didn’t chase hero throws, even when Washington trimmed the lead. He trusted the structure and let the defense do its job.
Washington can take something from that fourth quarter. Daniels’ poise under fire was clear. He avoided the back-breaking mistake, took what the coverage gave, and found pay dirt twice late. You want your quarterback to stay in the fight on nights like this. But the Commanders have to solve the early-game script issues and find more on the ground, or every week turns into a two-minute drill.
As for the Packers, 2-0 matters, but how they’ve gotten there might matter more. The offense looks flexible—tight end-heavy one series, perimeter timing the next. The defense looks faster and meaner, with a star rusher tilting matchups and a secondary that trusts its leverage rules. It’s the kind of identity that travels in cold weather and on short weeks, the kind that wins when the playbook shrinks.
The injuries will shape Washington’s next steps. If Ekeler misses time, the Commanders need to manufacture easy yards on early downs and lean harder on screens and quick hitters to keep pass rushers honest. Replacing Wise is a committee job—rotations, situational pressure, and more snaps for depth linemen. Quinn said he’ll use the weekend to assess. There’s not much else to do until the medicals come in.
One more note on Green Bay’s tight ends: when a team finds a playmaker there, everything opens. Kraft’s breakout forces safeties to think twice, creates better looks for play-action, and puts linebackers in conflict. Even on targets that don’t hit, the threat changes spacing. If this is the start of a trend, Love just got a reliable security blanket with chunk-play upside.
And if you’re wondering how this plays in prime time, it plays well. Green Bay’s stars showed up. Their coaching staff pushed the right buttons. Their defense took the air out of the game for three quarters and lived with the late push. For viewers tuning into Thursday Night Football, it was a sturdy reminder: this team can win a variety of ways.
- Final: Packers 27, Commanders 18
- Jordan Love: 19/31, 292 yards, 2 TDs, 113.9 rating
- Tucker Kraft: 6 receptions, 124 yards, 1 TD (first 100-yard game)
- Romeo Doubs: 5-yard receiving TD in the first quarter
- Packers total offense: 404 yards
- Commanders offense, 1st quarter: 11 total yards
- Jayden Daniels: 24/42, 200 yards, 2 TDs; 4 sacks taken, 21 yards lost
- Washington rushing: 51 yards on 19 carries (2.7 per carry)
- Micah Parsons: 0.5 sacks, 3 QB hurries; defense allowed no big plays early
- Injuries: Austin Ekeler (right Achilles), Deatrich Wise Jr. (quadriceps); no immediate updates
What the result says about both teams
Green Bay looks balanced and confident. The offense unlocked the tight end position, the quarterback stayed calm behind a patched line, and the defense delivered stops when it mattered. That’s a formula you can bottle. Washington showed fight, and the quarterback responded late, but the trenches and early-down execution need work. And until the injury picture clears, depth will be tested.
For now, the Packers keep stacking wins, and the Commanders have a clear film cut-up for Monday: early-drive scripts, run-game looks, and pressure answers. On a short week, the team with a plan usually wins. Green Bay had the plan and the finish to match it.