Sportsnaut
The Washington Commanders and Green Bay Packers both kicked off the 2025 NFL season with statement wins against division opponents, providing early momentum before a short week. Kicking off Week 2 with the Commanders vs Packers duel, potentially one of the best Thursday Night Football games of the season, Green Bay demonstrated once again why it’s viewed as a top Super Bowl contender.
Let’s dive into the winners and losers from the Packers’ 27-18 Thursday Night Football win over the Commanders.
What’s so remarkable about quarterback Jordan Love’s performance on Thursday Night Football is that he still left some big plays on the field. He also delivered this showing behind a Packers offensive line that was missing two of its best starters (Aaron Banks and Zach Tom). Love’s ability to stand tall in the pocket with pressure around him, or extend the play with his legs and launch a downfield strike, highlights what he’s capable of at his best. He also delivered a critical 14-yard run for a first down, a reminder that he’s a dangerous threat to run. Again, there are a few things Love can clean up to reach that top-five quarterback level, but he’s showing more and more flashes of it this season.
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Ahead of the 2024 NFL trade deadline, the Commanders traded third-, fourth-, and fifth-round picks to the New Orleans Saints for Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore. The hope was that he could step in, once healthy, and provide Dan Quinn’s defense with the No. 1 corner it desperately needed. Instead, he missed multiple games with injury and then allowed a 105.4 QB rating in coverage when he played.
Related: Game-by-Game Commanders Predictions 2025
Lattimore didn’t look any better on Thursday Night Football. He was beaten by Romeo Doubs twice on Green Bay’s first drive for big receptions and then was called for defensive holding. Jordan Love kept targeting him, including on a 37-yard sideline grab by Malik Heath and a 17-yard reception by Doubs two plays later. Lattimore’s play has been inconsistent throughout his career, and the downside of it was on display tonight.
Tucker Kraft has quickly emerged as the best Packers pass-catcher over the last year. He got off to a relatively quiet start last season, averaging just 25.7 receiving yards per game. Since then, he has been one of the most productive pass-catching tight ends in the league, totaling 646 receiving yards with 8 touchdowns and averaging 14 yards per reception across his last 15 games coming into Week 2.
Kraft’s explosiveness was on display once again on Thursday Night...
