Packers continue impressive start to season with victory over Commanders

GREEN BAY, Wis. - Remember erstwhile the Green Bay Packers couldn't bushed immoderate playoff-caliber teams?

They took attraction of that doubly successful a substance of 5 days to commencement the season. They defeated the Washington Commanders connected Thursday nighttime astatine Lambeau Field aft opening the play with a triumph implicit the Detroit Lions determination Sunday.

Last year, the Lions won 15 games and the Commanders prevailed successful 12 connected their mode to the NFC Championship Game. The Packers became conscionable the 5th squad successful the Super Bowl epoch (since 1966) to triumph their archetypal 2 games against teams that won 12 oregon much contests the erstwhile season.

This aft going a combined 0-6 past play against the Lions, Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles.

It besides gives the Packers a 2-0 commencement for the archetypal clip since 2020, erstwhile they started 4-0 connected their mode to a 13-win campaign.

The Commanders fell to 1-1 and returned location to play the Las Vegas Raiders successful Week 3.

Here are the astir important things to cognize from Thursday nighttime for some teams:

Green Bay Packers (2-0)

What to marque of the QB performance: Just deliberation of the yardage the Packers volition heap up erstwhile Jordan Love connects connected the heavy balls. He missed Matthew Golden heavy doubly successful the archetypal half, yet helium inactive had 214 yards passing done 2 quarters -- his astir successful the archetypal fractional successful his vocation and the astir by immoderate Packers backmost since Aaron Rodgers successful Week 4 of 2020 against the Falcons with 228 yards. Love finished with 292 yards.

The Parsons factor: Defensive extremity Micah Parsons faced aggregate treble teams -- and adjacent a triple squad connected 1 play -- yet inactive managed a half-sack and 3 QB hits. He besides drew an illegal-hands-to-the-face punishment and apt forced a mendacious commencement against the Commanders. He was held connected the sack helium shared with Edgerrin Cooper, but that punishment was declined. Overall, the Packers recorded 12 hits connected Commanders backmost Jayden Daniels.

Most astonishing performance: The astonishing portion astir Tucker Kraft's six-catch, 124-yard, 1 touchdown crippled was that it was his archetypal vocation 100-yard receiving performance. As bully arsenic Kraft was past twelvemonth successful his 50-catch, seven-touchdown season, helium did not deed the 100-yard people successful a contest. Kraft was a budding prima going into this season, and helium mightiness beryllium connected his mode to full-on stardom.

Trend to watch: Teams should cognize by present what's going to hap erstwhile the Packers get adjacent the extremity line: Josh Jacobs is getting the shot and scoring. It happened for the 10th consecutive regular-season crippled Thursday, erstwhile Jacobs scored connected a 2-yard tally to springiness the Packers a 14-0 pb successful the 2nd quarter. Jacobs got the shot connected the play before, too, and rushed for 5 yards connected first-and-goal from the 7. Jacobs extended his franchise grounds for consecutive games with a touchdown and became conscionable the 4th subordinate implicit the past 30 seasons with a rushing touchdown successful astatine slightest 10 consecutive games, joining LaDainian Tomlinson (18 consecutive from 200...