The Packers Defeat The Commanders, Moving To 2-0 (9-12-25)
By: Jaden Golding
Headline Photo Credit: Green Bay Packers
GREEN BAY, WI—The Green Bay Packers had another impressive outing Thursday night, defeating the Washington Commanders, 27-18, at Lambeau Field. Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love completed 19 of 31 passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns. But the fundamentally impressive part was the Packers’ defense, which suffocated the Washington offense and allowed only two touchdowns on the night.
Commanders (1-1) quarterback Jayden Daniels was pressured on 25 of his 52 dropbacks, which equated to nearly 50%. Micah Parsons dominated Washington’s offensive line, generating eight pressures himself and had a half-sack. He took advantage of rookie tackle Josh Conerly and even veteran Laremy Tunsil.
The Packers (2-0) never allowed Washington’s offense to get comfortable, holding them to 51 total rushing yards and only 200 passing yards. Green Bay cornerback Keisean Nixon and the secondary held the Commanders’ receivers in check, not allowing any explosive plays, sitting on the underneath routes they forced due to Daniels’ constant distress. Nixon led by example, causing five pass breakups.
Love’s leading receiver was tight end Tucker Kraft, who hauled in six catches for 124 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Washington tight end Zach Ertz was also productive, catching six passes for 64 yards and scored one of two Washington’s touchdowns for the night, which cut the game to 17-10. He led the way, as the other catchers had a quiet night in the stat box.
Washington kicker Matt Gay had a rough night, going 1-of-3 on field goal attempts (missing a 52 and a 58-yard field goal).
Injuries for key Washington Players
● Running Back Austin Ekeler: Ekeler injured his Achilles in the fourth quarter after attempting to cut on a route coming out of the backfield. Likely a season-ending Achilles tear, but we will know more later.
● Defensive End Deatrich Wise: Wise went down in the second quarter and was carted off the field. Further scanning on Friday revealed that he suffered a torn left quadriceps. Wise will miss the remainder of the 2025 season.
● Tight end John Bate and receiver Noah Brown: Both players left due to groin injuries, the severity of which is unknown at the time.
Lattimore Struggles
When the Commanders traded for Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore at the trade deadline last season, he was expected to bolster a secondary that needed a No. 1 corner who could go up against the best of the best. Unfortunately, last night, that was not the case. Lattimore got playing too soft on coverage, especially when his man would be motioned to the opposite side. He was out of position on the play, not able to break on the ball to disrupt the pass. He also got called for a holding penalty. Lattimore needs to trust his instincts better, play more disciplined, and make plays consistently. It’s not time for head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator to hit the panic button, primarily due to the injuries Laatimore has dealt with for two years. But how long is too long?
Sophomore Slump
It’s common for fans and the media to overreact after two games, especially since Daniels lit up the NFL last season. Through two games, Daniels hasn’t been quite himself; he’s missed throws: sometimes, mistiming throws, underthrowing passes, or even throwing behind. However, Daniels has gone up against top-end defensive line talent through the first two games, which has not allowed him to be comfortable from within the pocket. Per JPFinaly of NBC Washington, after the game, Daniels said this: “I wouldn’t expect anyone in this locker room to hit a panic button.” He continued, “We just didn’t make plays, it starts with me… not pointing a finger at anybody, collectively we’re all to blame and we’ll get back to work.” That’s a great response from the young quarterback who’s already shown the leadership traits that build great players. Daniels will honestly be fine and look to make the proper adjustments defenses seem to have made on him in year two.
Playcalling
Kliff Kingsbury didn’t call his best game today, in my opinion. I’m not being overcritical of the offensive coordinator because we’ve seen what his offense is capable of when hitting all the markers. But Kingsbury has to put Daniels in a better spot than he has been in through the first two weeks. Yesterday, the Packers’ secondary was not afraid of being tested down the field, sitting on short routes that Washington was running because they were trying to get the ball out quickly. The running game was nonexistent yesterday, as rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt only had four attempts, making the game plan pass-heavy. Croskey-Merritt needs more carries to develop and improve further. We need to see Deebo Samuel get the ball more early, whether on sweeps, screens, underneath routes, or direct handoffs out of the backfield. Terry McLaurin is off to a slow start again and must get going for this offense to be at its full potential. There’s more, but those are key things to be aware of.
Up Next:
Washington’s next game is against the Las Vegas Raiders at Northwest Stadium on September 21st, 10 days away, giving them a mini bye. The Packers take the road for the first time on the 21st against the Cleveland Browns.
