Packer Central

Live Scoring Updates: Packers Beat Commanders 27-18

The Green Bay Packers (1-0) will battle the Washington Commanders (1-0) tonight at Lambeau Field in a clash of NFC powers. Follow along all night for the latest.
Bill Huber|
The pregame fireworks before Packers-Commanders.
The pregame fireworks before Packers-Commanders. | Bill Huber/Packers On SI

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Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers will host the Washington Commanders on Thursday night at Lambeau Field. Coming off a Week 1 win over the Detroit Lions, can the Packers add another statement victory? Follow along all night for updates.

Final Score: Packers 27, Commanders 18

Fourth Quarter

Packers 27, Commanders 18 (2:53 remaining)

Jayden Daniels gave the Commanders the slightest glimmer of hope with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Deebo Samuel, who broke Evan Williams’ tackle attempt at the 5. The two-point pass to Luke McCaffrey, who had a 19-yard catch earlier in the drive, made it 27-18.

It was a rough night for Green Bay’s special teams but Dontayvion Wicks recovered the onside kick.

Packers 27, Commanders 10 (6:42 remaining)

A 2-yard scoring drive isn’t much of a drive, but Brandon McManus’ field goal might have put this one away.

Packers 24, Commanders 10 (7:42 remaining)

The fans smell blood in the water. The defense, so dominant for most of the night, got a four-and-out to potentially put this game away. On third-and-4, Jayden Daniels was hammered by unblocked blitzing linebacker Quay Walker. On fourth-and-4, Daniels’ pass to Jaylin Lane was broken up by Keisean Nixon. It was Nixon’s fourth pass breakup of the night.

Packers 24, Commanders 10 (8:57 remaining)

The Packers needed an answer and got it, with Jordan Love capping a 65-yard touchdown drive with an 8-yard pass to Tucker Kraft. Early in the drive, on third-and-6, Love drifted backward before finding Kraft downfield for 8 yards and a huge first down. Coach Matt LaFleur dove into the playbook. First, with Savion Williams at wildcat quarterback, he faked a reverse pitch to Love, got a downfield block from Rasheed Walker and gained 16. On the next play, Matthew Golden took a jet sweep for 8. After Jacobs ran for the first down, Love faked the handoff to Jacobs and threw a pass to Kraft, who was wide open against safety Will Harris for the pivotal score.

Packers 17, Commanders 10 (13:45 remaining)

With time not on their side, the Commanders went for it twice late in the third quarter. On fourth-and-1-foot, Austin Ekeler gained 1 foot and 1 inch. Next, on fourth-and-7, Nate Hobbs was flagged for defensive holding against tight end Zach Ertz.

The fourth quarter started with a second-and-10 at Green Bay’s 32. Micah Parsons shot around rookie right tackle Josh Conerly and flushed quarterback Jayden Daniels, who was upended by Javon Bullard to make it third-and-9. Daniels had just enough time with Parsons coming free to hit Terry McLaurin for 11 to the 20. On the next play, Daniels hit Ertz in the flat. Ertz got lost in the wash, eluded Quay Walker and ran the race to the end zone.

So, for all of Green Bay’s statistical dominance, it’s a one-score game and the Packers need an answer.

Third Quarter

Packers 17, Commanders 3 (3:31 remaining)

Talk about a feeble drive. Two runs by Josh Jacobs gained 2 yards and Von Miller looked like Micah Parsons sprinting into the backfield, forcing Jordan Love to throw it away. The Commanders will start at midfield. This will be their eighth possession of the night and the fourth staring outside their 40.

Packers 17, Commanders 3 (5:04 remaining)

The Commanders went three-and-out. On first down, Jayden Daniels completed the pass but was buried by Devonte Wyatt. On second down, Austin Ekeler was stuffed by Edgerrin Cooper. On third down, Cooper’s blitz forced an incompletion.

Packers 17, Commanders 3 (6:37 remaining)

The Packers lead 343-92 in yards – total domination – but it’s only a two-touchdown lead after Brandon McManus kicked a 22-yard field goal. Jordan Love made hay with the tight ends, with completions of 23 yards to Luke Musgrave, 9 yards to Musgrave on third-and-1 and 19 yards to Tucker Kraft. That made it first-and-goal at the 7 but the drive stalled. On third-and-goal at the 5, coach Matt LaFleur wanted a timeout but didn’t get it, Von Miller got past Anthony Belton for a late pressure and Love had to throw it away.

Packers 14, Commanders 3 (11:54 remaining)

This time, it was Matt Gay’s turn to hit the upright as he plunked it from 52. Washington had a third-and-3 at Green Bay’s 24 when Micah Parsons and Edgerrin Cooper shared a 10-yard sack. Cooper shot inside of right tackle Josh Conerly Jr., drew a holding penalty and joined Cooper in taking down Jayden Daniels.

Halftime

Packers 14, Commanders 3

The Packers have to feel good that they’re leading. They can’t feel good that it’s only an 11-point game. Green Bay has outgained Washington 274-82. Jordan Love is 13-of-18 passing for 214 yards and Josh Jacobs extended his streak to 11 consecutive games with a rushing touchdown.

However, the Commanders – with only one play of longer than 8 yards – are hanging around and will get the ball to start the second half.

Injury update: Packers WR Jayden Reed (shoulder) is out. Reed injured his shoulder making an overturned-by-penalty touchdown catch on the opening possession. The third-year player, who had been playing through a foot injury, led the Packers in receptions and yards in each of his first two seasons.

Reed suffered a partially torn labrum in the playoff loss to the Eagles. “I caught it, turned up field, dipped my shoulder, he caught me like right on top of my shoulder, dislocated it and then I partially tore my labrum,” Reed explained during OTAs.

It took four to five months to heal, he said.

“I did not need surgery. Thank God,” he said.

With the second half under way, Reed is on the sideline. It appears his arm in a sling beneath his hoodie.

Second Quarter

Packers 14, Commanders 3 (0:00 remaining)

Both teams missed field goals in the final moments. Washington’s Matt Gay was wide left from 58, giving the Packers the ball at the 48 with 14 seconds to go. Jordan Love hit Dontayvion Wicks for 14 to get them into fiel- goal range and Josh Jacobs ran for 8 to set up a 48-yard field-goal attempt for Brandon McManus. The reliable kicker, however, drilled the left upright.

Injury update: Commanders DE Deatrich Wise (quad) is out and LG Brandon Coleman (shoulder) is questionable.

Packers 14, Commanders 3 (4:27 remaining)

Matt Gay made a 51-yard field goal. Green Bay’s defense prevented further damage, though. On first down, Edgerrin Cooper made a tremendous open-field tackle to limit Jayden Daniels’ run to 5 yards. On second down, Keisean Nixon broke up a deep pass to Noah Brown. On third-and-5, Nate Hobbs had good coverage on a deep pass to Terry McLaurin.

Packers 14, Commanders 0 (7:34 remaining)

Josh Jacobs capped a 92-yard touchdown drive with a 2-yard touchdown run. It’s his 11th consecutive game with a touchdown run, tied for the second-longest streak since 2000. On the play, Jacobs ran over linebacker Frankie Luvu.

On the first play of the drive, Jordan Love overthrew Matthew Golden for what might have been a 92-yard touchdown. So, Jacobs ran twice for 12 before Malik Heath made an incredible catch on the sideline for 37. It initially was ruled incomplete but was overturned. A crossing route to Romeo Doubs against Marshon Lattimore gained 17 and a pass into the flat to Tucker Kraft gained 17 more when Kraft tossed aside safety Will Harris. On first-and-goal from the 7, Jacobs ran for 5 and then the touchdown.

Packers 7, Commanders 0 (12:24 remaining)

The Commanders got one first down, with Jayden Daniels hitting Terry McLaurin just before Micah Parsons arrived. Daniels scrambled for 1 and Devonte Wyatt forced an incompletion, setting up third-and-9. Daniels had time and threw a strike to Noah Brown, but Keisean Nixon knocked it out for an incompletion.

First Quarter

Packers 7, Commanders 0 (0:00 remaining)

The Packers went three-and-out. Going with a rotation at right tackle, it was rookie Anthony Belton’s turn. On second-and-4, he gave up a sack to Jacob Martin, though that was probably more coverage-related than anything.

Packers 7, Commanders 0 (2:00 remaining)

Two series, two three-and-outs. Once again, Green Bay’s defensive line was the story. On first down, Lukas Van Ness had a tackle for loss against Austin Ekeler. On third-and-7, Micah Parsons, who lined up at right defensive tackle, stunted left and drew a penalty on right guard Nick Allegretti. On third-and-17, a quick pass to Jaylin Lane was blown up by Javon Bullard.

Injury update: Commanders CB Trey Amos (shoulder) is questionable.

Packers 7, Commanders 0 (4:33 remaining)

Starting at the 4 after Matthew Golden’s ill-advised punt return, the Packers stormed right down the field. First, it was a swing pass to Tucker Kraft, who caught the pass 1 yard downfield but gained 15. After a run by Josh Jacobs, Kraft was streaking open up the middle. He caught the pass 18 yards downfield and rumbled for 39 for a gain of 57 to Washington’s 20.

On third-and-9, Jordan Love had clear sailing to the right. He put his shoulder down and ran through cornerback Trey Amos for a gain of 14 to set up first-and-goal at the 5. On the next play, Love froze the defense and Romeo Doubs badly beat cornerback Mike Sainristil for the touchdown.

Packers 0, Commanders 0 (8:08 remaining)

The Packers’ defense started with a three-and-out. On second-and-7, Jayden Daniels tried to scramble to his right but was cut off by Colby Wooden. So, he scrambled to the left and was tripped up by Devonte Wyatt for a 1-yard sack. On third-and-8, Rashan Gary and Micah Parsons applied the pressure on a 4-yard checkdown.

Injury update: WR Jayden Reed (shoulder) is questionable.

Packers 0, Commanders 0 (10:25 remaining)

The Packers wasted two opportunities. First, on third-and-9, Jordan Love threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Reed but rookie right tackle Anthony Belton was flagged for holding against Dorrance Armstrong. Love was halfway to the end zone when he saw the flag, then ran the rest of the way when he saw Reed was injured. On third-and-19, Chris Brooks caught a checkdown with a head of steam, broke one tackle and gained 16. Rather than attempt a 51-yard field goal, coach Matt LaFleur kept the offense on the field. Matthew Golden was wide open against Trey Amos but Love’s pass was underthrown.

Big Starting Lineup Surprise

Last week, after standout right tackle Zach Tom went down with an oblique injury, fourth-year pro Darian Kinnard entered the lineup and played 15 solid snaps.

Tom, as expected, is inactive. Kinnard, as not expected, is not in the starting lineup. With warmups under way, the Packers are going with rookie second-round pick Anthony Belton at right tackle.

Last year’s first-round pick, Jordan Morgan, is starting at left guard in place of Aaron Banks.

Oldest vs. Youngest

The NFL on Thursday evening released its annual analysis of Week 1 rosters.

The Packers are the youngest team in the league with an average age of 25.28 years old. They have a league-low two players who are 30-plus yards old – kicker Brandon McManus and long snapper Matthew Orzech. They have the least-experienced roster with an average of 3.41 years.

The Packers also have the tallest roster in the NFL with an average height of 6.24 feet.

The Commanders are the oldest team in the league with an average age of 28.00 years old. They have a league-low six rookies and first-year players and a league-high 17 players who are 30-plus. They also are the most seasoned team with average experience of 6.07 years.

Block Party

A big key to Green Bay’s offensive success last season was the blitz pickups of running backs Josh Jacobs and Chris Brooks. While PFF for some reason gave Jacobs a terrible grade, he was a brick wall on a few blitzes by linebackers Alex Anzalone and Jack Campbell.

“It was a big emphasis this week stepping up against their pass rush and they did it,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said on Tuesday. “They answered the call. They were really physical inside. They kept the pockets nice and firm for Jordan. There was a lot of pick-stunts and things like that that they were trying to throw at us and I thought our running backs did a phenomenal job.”

On one of those, Brooks started with the linebacker and ended up on a defensive tackle.

“That was the best that I’ve seen in my time here,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “Those guys saved a lot of plays. They did a great job because I think Detroit does a really good job of getting into the gaps and getting penetration, so you’ve got to get on those guys quickly.

“It’s going to be the same thing this week when you look at Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu. Those guys, they are hard to block and I think Washington does a really nice job of running a lot of different pick games and stunts and putting their backers on your backs and sometimes in not the best situations, so we’ve got our work cut out for us.”

Luvu was a second-team All-Pro with eight sacks and 12 tackles for losses. Wagner was a second-team All-Pro, as well, marking 11 consecutive seasons with first- or second-team honors. He had two sacks last season after leading the NFL in tackles in 2023.

Packers-Commanders Inactives

It will be a big challenge for the Packers against a stout Commanders defensive line.

1-0 Teams Collide

Packers-Commanders is one of four games between 1-0 teams this week. Washington has had only one 2-0 start since 2012 while Green Bay hasn’t started 2-0 since reaching the NFC Championship Game in 2020.

The primetime players will be in the spotlight.

For Green Bay, defensive end Micah Parsons, who had a sack in his debut last week, has 10.5 sacks in eight career games against Washington. He had 4.5 sacks in last year’s games; you can watch them all here.

For Washington, Jayden Daniels has been lights out in road games. In 11 career road starts (including playoffs), he has a total of 20 touchdowns with a 104.6 passer rating.

“You don't let game wreckers wreck the game, and you have to keep an eye on him,” Daniels said of Parsons.

One Huge Streak

Washington hasn’t won a road game in the series since 1988. That’s six consecutive games, with four of them decided by at least 14 points.

“Just to be able to play a night game at Lambeau Field, growing up, you hear about the history of Green Bay and everything,” Daniels told reporters this week. “So, I’m super-excited to go in that stadium and be able to experience that.”

Included in that streak is this unforgettable game.

Packers-Commanders Game Prediction

The strength of the Packers will go against one of the weaknesses of the Commanders, which is their offensive line. While left tackle Laremy Tunsil is a stud, the rest of the unit is vulnerable. If Green Bay can start fast, it should be able to step on the gad.

The potential weakness of the Packers is their interior run defense, though that unit was excellent in Week 1. However, the Commanders’ run game is more perimeter-based, so they probably can’t take advantage.

On Thursday nights, the home team has the advantage. The Commanders don’t have enough strength to counter.

Packers 27, Commanders 20. Seaon record: 0-1.

Another Huge Streak

Packers running back Josh Jacobs has at least one rushing touchdown in 10 consecutive games. If he scores again, he’d match the longest streak since the turn of the century. Priest Holmes in 2002, LaDainian Tomlinson in 2004 and Jonathan Taylor in 2021 had 11-game streaks.

Jacobs and the running game had a rough start against Detroit. He had six carries for 8 yards in the first half but 13 carries for 58 yards and the streak-extending touchdown in the second half.

“I think it’s the first time all of us actually played together,” he said this week. “I think when it comes to running the ball in general, it kind of takes like three to four weeks before you really get your footing in and the whole line is used to coming off low and pushing guys. I’m not too much worried about that. I think later in the season, we’re definitely going to have to run the ball. It’s just a part of it.”

Packers Are Favored

The Packers are 3.5-point favorites at FanDuel Sportsbook with an over/under of 48.5. About 51 percent of the money and bets are on the Commanders, so it’s a tight split.

Week 1 favorites win 64.5 percent of the time. Week 2 favorites win 64.6 percent of the time but cover less often.

For Green Bay, Jordan Love’s over/under is 234.5 yards (vs. 228.5 for Jayden Daniels) and Josh Jacobs’ over/under is 78.5 rushing yards. The four favorites to get a sack are all from Green Bay, led by Micah Parsons at -136 and Rashan Gary at +112.

The BetPulse Index by Betting.us compiles data from six major sportsbooks. The consensus shows:

- The Packers are fourth in the Super Bowl odds at +800. The Bills are +595, the Ravens are +665 and the Eagles are +700.

- The Packers are the favorites to win the NFC North at -125. The Vikings are +300, the Lions are +375 and the Bears are +1100. Green Bay was +260 before the season and +185 after the Parsons trade.

- Micah Parsons went +600 to win NFL Defensive Player of the Year before Week 1 to +550 after Week 1.

Loving the Accuracy

Jordan Love completed 16-of-22 passes against the strong Lions defense in Week 1. That 72.7 percent accuracy was his ninth-best in 34 career starts and much better than his career mark of 63.7 percent.

“I’ve seen it all offseason basically from him just running around and doing stuff,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said. “Yeah, he looked good out there. Looked comfortable. Obviously, our O-line did a pretty nice job protecting him and our running backs. It was good to see him out there making plays and running around.”

Spreading the Love

Jordan Love completed passes to 10 different players last week, the team’s most since a come-from-behind victory over the Chargers in 2023. That’s quite a feat considering he threw only 22 passes.

“I think it’s a group that we’ve had, and then we’ve just added even more with MG and Say,” Love said of rookies Matthew Golden and Savion Williams. “I think that’s always been a cool part of our offense is we’ve got so many weapons all across the board and guys who can actually come in and have an impact every time they’re on the field and touching the ball.

“We’ve got some really cool playmakers. It makes my job fun trying to spread the love around, spread the ball around and get all these guys touches. I think to that part, too, it just puts a little bit more stress on a defense, on who they want to try to put their best guys on and spend more time trying to cover. It just keeps them on their heels a little bit.”

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Bill Huber
BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: packwriter2002@yahoo.com History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.