- Green Bay improved to 2-0 with another impressive win over a 2024 playoff team.
- QB Jordan Love and DE Micah Parsons, the leaders of the Pack, both served up strong performances Thursday night.
- Washington fell to 1-1, and a struggling offense may have lost a key member to a serious injury.
Thursday seemingly served up a prime NFL matchup – literally, the Washington Commanders and Green Bay Packers kicking off Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football” lineup at Lambeau Field while ushering in Week 2 of the league’s 2025 season.
And while a meeting of 2024 wild-card squads wasn’t as crisp as cord-cutters would want, it also wasn’t short on star power, highlights or lowlights. The Pack improved to 2-0 after emerging with a 27-18 triumph, though the game wasn’t as close as the score indicates.
Still, plenty of compelling subplots and vignettes – which provided enough fodder for a breakdown of “TNF” winners and losers:
WINNERS
Jordan Love and Packers offense
It’s not even firing on all cylinders, but the third-year QB1 and Co. look like a machine that could – and maybe should – produce some championship cheese over the next five months. Four days after taking out the reigning NFC North champion Detroit Lions 27-13, Green Bay averaged 6.4 yards per play, Love passing for 292 yards and two TDs and needing just 19 completions to do so. The Pack’s first two touchdown drives covered at least 90 yards. There are penalty problems that need ironing out, but the unit was also without injured OL Zach Tom and Aaron Banks.
Josh Jacobs
He extended his Packers club record to 11 consecutive games, including playoffs, with a touchdown. Jacobs can break the league record, held by Hall of Famer John Riggins – coincidentally, he set it with Washington over the 1982 and ’83 seasons – if he can keep this heater going for another five games. Jacobs rushed for 84 yards against the Commanders.
Micah Parsons
Two games, two wins, 1½ sacks, a seemingly larger role Thursday − when he had eight pressures − and now a mini bye to rest his back ahead of road games at Cleveland and what will be his hyper-hyped return to Dallas.
Sterling Sharpe
The recently enshrined Pro Football Hall of Famer, who spent all seven of his sterling NFL seasons with the Packers, saw his name added to Lambeau’s façade. Had Sharpe not injured his neck, he would’ve been a shoo-in for 1,000 career receptions – maybe even 1,200, rarefied air for the league’ all-time top five.
The uprights
Packers K Brandon McManus was rejected by the left upright on a 48-yard field-goal attempt right before halftime. The Commanders’ Matt Gay hit the right upright – no good – from 52 yards to start the second half. All told, chalk up two for the posts while the kickers combined to miss three FGs.
LOSERS
Jayden Daniels and Commanders offense
No reason to panic with a 1-1 record. But the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year and his charges have looked a bit disjointed through two weeks and managed just 230 yards against Green Bay, the lowest output since Daniels was drafted. Worse, veteran RB Austin Ekeler appeared to suffer a serious Achilles injury in the fourth quarter that seems likely to make the team rue its decision to trade former starter Brian Robinson Jr. to the San Francisco 49ers last month. Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt is a promising rookie but hardly seems up to the task of being a three-down workhorse at this stage. Daniels, who was also sacked four times, Ekeler and Croskey-Merritt rushed for 17 yards apiece.
Jerry Jones
As Parsons was serenaded with ‘Thank you, Jerry’ chants following the win, it’s starting to increasingly look as if the Cowboys owner may never live down a blockbuster trade that seemed borne of stubbornness on both sides − but mostly Jones’. Said Parson, still fueled by plenty of motivation despite landing a four-year, $186 million contract from Green Bay, on the ‘TNF’ post-game set: ‘I’m pissed off.’ Packers-Cowboys, Week 4.
Terry McLaurin
After briefly holding out of training camp, then holding in for most of the summer while awaiting a three-year contract extension, Washington’s longtime captain has yet to earn his money. In fairness, McLaurin is coming back from a bum ankle, yet he was back on the practice field as soon as he got paid late last month. After catching two passes for 27 yards in Week 1, he had just five inconsequential receptions for 48 yards Thursday.
Matthew Golden
Another receiver who has yet to make an impact, though Golden should get a grace period. The first Packers wideout drafted in the first round in 23 years, the rookie was only targeted twice Thursday, but Love couldn’t hook up with him. Golden caught two balls for 16 yards in the opener but seems headed for a larger role after Jayden Reed broke his collarbone.
Josh Conerly Jr.
Washington’s 2025 first-rounder is also struggling. In Conerly’s defense, he’s only 21 and making the transition from left tackle at Oregon to the right side in the NFL. After getting consistently beaten in Week 1 by the New York Giants, he was abused by Parsons. No real shame in that, but Conerly’s troubles are another aspect of the Commanders’ sputtering offense.
Uniform variants
After debuting their mostly white “Winter Warning” uniforms last season, the Pack broke them out anew … Sept. 11 … 11 days before … the first day of autumn. I’m all for uniform variety – as generally boring as Pack Bridezilla is – but can we at least be sensible about the usage? This strays into the territory of the Indianapolis Colts’ wearing their “Indiana Nights” at 1 p.m. ET on a Sunday (not kidding).
