GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – The Green Bay Packers (2-0) played host to the Washington Commanders (1-1) as they welcomed Week 2 of the 2025-26 NFL season, as the two young, yet playoff-tested teams entered on short rest after dominant Week 1 wins.
(AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)
On a night where the Green and Gold wore their ‘Winter Warning’ uniforms and honored recent Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee, Sterling Sharpe, the Packers dominated the Commanders in a 27-18 win.
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The Packers entered without two of their starting offensive linemen, as right tackle Zach Tom and left guard Aaron Banks were ruled out with quad and groin/ankle injuries, respectively, but it didn’t hinder the offense.
Green Bay started with the ball after Washington won the coin toss and deferred, as Jordan Love threw for what was initially a Jayden Reed touchdown, which was negated by a holding. The Packers subsequently turned it over on downs after a fourth-down stop.
Led by the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, Jayden Daniels, the Commanders’ offense took the field; however, the Packers’ defense picked up where it left off on Sunday, forcing a 3-and-out in just over two minutes.
(AP Photo/Mike Roemer)
The Packers jumped out to a 7-0 lead with just under five minutes to go in the first quarter, after three big plays from Tucker Kraft and Love got the offense from their own 4-yard line to the Commanders’ 5-yard line, before Romeo Doubs caught a quick pass and took it to the end zone.
Jordan Love connected with Malik Heath on a sideline heave for a 37-yard gain about five minutes into the second quarter before a Kraft 17-yard gain led to a Josh Jacobs touchdown that put Green Bay up 14-0.
The Commanders got on the board with 4:27 to go in the first half on a 51-yard field goal, as the Packers’ defense faced its first true ‘challenge’ of the game. The Commanders missed a 58-yard field goal late as the Packers took a 14-3 lead into the locker room.
(AP Photo/Morry Gash)
It wasn’t just the scoreline where the Packers led, but in just about every single stat, with 13 first downs to the Commanders’ four, and 274 yards to the Commanders’ 82 in the first half.
The Commanders started hot out of the locker room, with a 50-yard kick return by Deebo Samuel into Packers territory, but they only mustered another 10 yards before kicker Matt Gay missed his second field goal of the night on a ‘doink’, as the score stayed 14-3 Green Bay.
Green Bay responded with a field goal to push the lead to 17-3 about halfway through the third quarter, continuing to dominate the stat sheet, as Washington mustered just 113 yards through 45 minutes.
(AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)
Washington got into the end zone for the first time just over a minute into the fourth quarter on a touchdown from tight end Zach Ertz, who sidestepped a few tackles en route to a 17-10 scoreline with about 14 minutes to go.
Head coach Matt LaFleur brought out his bag of tricks with a Wildcat direct snap to Savion Williams, who ran for 16 yards. Three plays later, Kraft continued his big night with a touchdown to restore the 14-point lead as the Packers went up 24-10 with under nine minutes to go.
Kicker Brandon McManus made it a three-score game with under seven minutes to go, drilling a field goal from 56 yards out, putting the Packers up 27-10. The Commanders responded, as Daniels led them down the field to make it a 27-18 game with 2:57 to go.
An onside kick by Washington was unsuccessful, as the Packers recovered near midfield, and while they punted, the Commanders had nothing left, as the Packers’ offense got it back again to kneel out the 27-18 win.
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While the scoreline was just a nine-point deficit, the Packers were utterly dominant, nearly doubling the total yardage, earning seven more first downs, and moving to 2-0. Kraft led all receivers with 124 yards and a touchdown, while Love finished 19/31 with 292 yards and two TDs.
The Packers are back in action on Sunday, September 21, when they take on the Browns at noon from Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio.
