The Green Bay Packers roared out of the gate by overpowering their division rival Detroit Lions 27-13 in week one. Head Coach Matt LaFleur said, “I told the guys, you can enjoy this for about five minutes or five hours” in his postgame press conference on Sunday. Now, the Washington Commanders come to Lambeau Field to play against the Packers on Thursday Night Football.
The Commanders are coming off an impressive 12-5 season, ending in a run to the NFC Championship. They were a surprise team in the 2024 season but won’t be underestimated by opponents in 2025. Washington won their season opener 21-6 against the New York Giants on Sunday.
Led by reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Commanders are hoping to build off of last year’s success. In his rookie season, Daniels threw for 3568 yards and 25 touchdowns with only nine interceptions. He added 891 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.
Washington added talent to the offense this offseason to take Daniels’ game to the next level. They traded for left tackle Laremy Tunsil and drafted right tackle Josh Conerly in the first round of the NFL draft to protect Daniels. The Commanders also traded for wide receiver Deebo Samuel from the 49ers. Samuel and seventh round rookie running back Bill Croskey-Merritt both scored touchdowns in their week one debuts.
While the Packers’ defense dominated on Sunday, Daniels and the Commanders offense present a different challenge. The defensive line has to be disciplined in their rush lanes, not allowing Daniels to take off and run. Linebackers Quay Walker and Edgerrin Cooper will be asked to spy Daniels also to limit his running ability. Daniels was sacked three times in week one. The matchup between the elusive scrambling of Daniels and the Packers’ athletic front seven could define the game’s outcome.
Washington’s defense also had an impressive performance in week one, limiting the Giants to just six points. The Giants only gained 74 yards rushing for the game. Josh Jacobs and Green Bay’s running game got off to a slow start, gaining only 79 rushing yards on 25 carries against Detroit. Jordan Love and the passing game were able to make up for it with an efficient day, completing 16/22 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns. Jacobs added a score on the ground.
The Packers’ offensive line gave Love plenty of time on Sunday. He looked very comfortable from clean pockets all afternoon. Offensive linemen Zach Tom and Aaron Banks both left the game with injuries and their status for Thursday night is unknown. Darian Kinnard and Jordan Morgan both played well in their place.
Matt LaFleur and Washington head coach Dan Quinn know each other well. LaFleur was the quarterbacks coach for the Atlanta Falcons in 2015 and 2016 when Quinn was the head coach. Quinn was the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys when the Packers beat them 48-32 in the wild card round of the 2023 season.
Matt LaFleur’s regular season record in games on Thursday is 5-3. Dan Quinn’s record is 2-5 in Thursday games.
The Packers and Commanders are two of the top teams in the NFC. Whichever team wins on Thursday Night Football will separate itsself and be seen as a Super Bowl contender. Playoff seeding may come into play at the end of the season based on the outcome of this game.
While Sunday’s victory should be celebrated, the Packers need to put it behind them quickly and get ready for another quality opponent in primetime at Lambeau Field.
