Packers surge past Commanders 27-18 on Thursday Night Football as Jordan Love, Tucker Kraft shine

What happened at Lambeau

On a short week under the lights, the Packers looked crisp, fast, and in control. Green Bay handled the Washington Commanders 27-18 at Lambeau Field, improving to 2-0 for the first time since 2020 and backing up last week’s 27-13 opener with another clean, composed win. The scoreboard says one score. The feel of it said more than that.

Jordan Love didn’t force anything. He didn’t need to. He read it, ripped it, and kept the offense on time, finishing with 292 yards and two touchdowns. The box score shows growth. The tape showed it even more. He worked through progressions, trusted his tight ends, and used play-action to freeze linebackers—little things that turn good drives into points on a short week when timing usually suffers.

The night belonged to Tucker Kraft. The tight end turned into the downfield hammer Green Bay has been quietly grooming, catching six passes for a career-high 124 yards and a touchdown. His 57-yard catch was the evening’s longest play, a seam-beater that split Washington’s zone and flipped the field in one snap. Later, with 8:57 left and the Commanders pressing, Kraft shook loose again for an 8-yard score that put the game at arm’s length and quieted the rally.

“Hopefully I can keep stacking games like that,” Kraft said, almost shaking his head at what he’d just done. “It’s the first time I’ve ever gotten over 100 yards, including college.” It looked like a breakout, not a blip. He blocked with an edge, settled in soft spots, and ran through tackles after the catch. That combination is how tight ends become quarterback magnets.

Green Bay’s tempo told the bigger story. The offense piled up 404 total yards, mixed personnel groupings, and never let the game bog down. The line gave Love a steady pocket against a front that can get home, and the run game did enough to keep Washington honest. You could see the game plan: spread the ball, stress the seams, then hammer the middle of the field when safeties drifted wide.

The scoring arc was steady rather than flashy. Green Bay built a 14-3 halftime lead, added a field goal in the third quarter, and closed with 10 points in the fourth. Washington swung late—15 fourth-quarter points will do that—but every time the Commanders edged back into it, the Packers answered with a clock-chewing answer or a defensive stand. That’s how you win on Thursdays: stack small wins until the clock becomes your friend.

Credit the defense for setting the tone early. Washington’s first seven possessions produced just three points, and the Commanders spent most of the night trying to dig out of long fields. The plan was simple: squeeze the pocket, disguise the safeties, and tackle cleanly. It worked because the rush and coverage stayed connected.

Micah Parsons changed the math up front. His presence tilted protections and freed teammates to win one-on-ones. Even when he didn’t get the stat, he forced hurried throws and helped shut down Washington’s deeper concepts. Add in disciplined edge play and a rotating interior, and the Commanders got very little rhythm until the game moved into its final stretch.

Jayden Daniels still found something late. The rookie took his lumps early—compressing windows, moving off the spot, and facing third-and-long too often—but he refused to shrink. In the fourth quarter, he sped up his clock, leaned on the quick game, and used his legs to keep plays alive. Washington sliced the deficit to one possession and made Green Bay earn the finish. That says something about Daniels’ poise on the road, even in defeat.

Green Bay owned the situational moments. Two-minute execution to close the half, good tempo coming out of the break, and smart game management in the fourth when a mistake could have turned the tide. A Thursday win isn’t about style. It’s about control. The Packers had it most of the night.

What it means for both teams

For Green Bay, this looks like a team coming into focus. Love’s command keeps climbing week to week, and the pass game feels layered—quick hitters, designed shots, and tight end seams all showing up on schedule. Kraft’s emergence isn’t just a headline; it changes how defenses have to allocate resources in the middle of the field. If safeties stay high to protect the sidelines, the tight end eats. If they rotate down, outside shot plays become available. That’s how an offense gets easy yards.

The defense has an identity too: speed and disruption. The front, boosted by Parsons, forced Washington to live under the umbrella. That kind of pressure allows the secondary to stay aggressive without giving up the explosive stuff that breaks games open. The most telling stretch? Those first seven drives for Washington producing only three points. That’s team defense—rush, coverage, tackling—all in sync.

Green Bay also did the small things that travel. Field position tilted their way. Penalties didn’t derail drives. Missed tackles were rare. On a short week, those details are usually where games are lost. The Packers turned them into edges.

This start matters. It’s their first 2-0 opening since 2020, and both wins came against teams that were in the postseason last year. That’s not a cupcake schedule. It’s also the kind of opening that gives a locker room belief. The path from “promising” to “for real” is paved with nights like this—clean, businesslike, poised.

For Washington, there are real takeaways even with the loss. Daniels’ fourth-quarter response wasn’t empty calories. He sped up his reads, found rhythm throws, and kept plays alive when protection frayed. That matters for a rookie. He also protected the ball while chasing the game, which is harder than it sounds against a defense that’s teeing off.

The Commanders’ defense flashed, especially in the third quarter when they forced Green Bay to settle for a field goal and briefly turned the momentum. But explosive plays bit them—Kraft’s 57-yarder changed the field and the feel. Cleaning up tight end seams and rallying faster to perimeter throws will be near the top of the tape notes.

The game’s hinge moments were simple. Green Bay’s red-zone edge showed up when it counted. Washington’s came late but not early. On the road, that gap usually decides it.

Here are the numbers that framed the night:

• Score: Packers 27, Commanders 18.
• Green Bay’s start: 2-0 for the first time since 2020.
• Jordan Love: 292 yards passing, two touchdowns.
• Tucker Kraft: six catches, 124 yards, one touchdown; first 100-yard game at any level.
• Longest play: Kraft’s 57-yard catch up the seam.
• Team offense: 404 total yards for Green Bay.
• Defensive stretch: Washington held to three points on its first seven possessions.
• Scoring flow: Packers led 14-3 at halftime; added a third-quarter field goal and 10 points in the fourth; Washington scored 15 in the fourth to tighten it late.

There’s also the quiet stuff that coaches obsess over. Green Bay’s receivers blocked in space and turned modest gains into chains. The backs picked up blitzers and kept Love clean on third down. The defensive backs tackled through contact and refused free yards after catch. Those aren’t highlight plays, but they’re why the highlight plays matter in the fourth quarter.

If you’re looking for inflection points, circle two sequences. First, the early second quarter when Green Bay leaned into tempo, hit a couple of intermediate throws, and turned a balanced drive into seven points. That forced Washington to chase. Second, Kraft’s touchdown with 8:57 left. Washington had momentum and a real shot to flip it. One perfectly timed red-zone call wiped that away.

Green Bay’s path forward is about sustaining this completeness—efficient quarterbacking, a tight end who changes matchups, and a front that dictates on defense. Washington’s path is about accelerating the growth curve—protect the rookie better early, finish tackles in the middle of the field, and remove the one or two explosives that swing games on the road.

Short week, national window, cold air, loud crowd—this is where we usually see sloppy football. Instead, the Packers put out a blueprint: be sharp early, be stubborn on defense, then close with poise when the opponent makes its push. That’s how 2-0 happens. And that’s why the rest of the NFC just took notice.