The Green Bay Packers started their season off exactly how they wanted, and that was apparent from the first half of this past Sunday’s season opener against the Lions. Jordan Love and the offense moved the ball with ease, scoring on the team’s first drive of the season, and major defensive acquisition Micah Parsons picked up his first sack of the year, to a thunderous ovation from the Lambeau Field crowd. A decisive win over last year’s NFC North champions is exactly what Green Bay wanted, and now they’ll get to watch the rest of the division play out until their next matchup with Detroit on Thanksgiving at Ford Field.
It’s a short week for the Packers, though, as they’ll move onto week two on Thursday night for a primetime matchup with the Washington Commanders. This will be Jordan Love’s first game against Washington, and Jayden Daniels’ first trip to Lambeau Field. The quick turnaround from a Sunday afternoon game to a Thursday night game is never easy, but fortunately for Green Bay, they’ll do it early in the year when stamina (and morale) should be pretty high. They’ll also have the advantage of staying home all week, where the Commanders will make travel for their first road game of the season.
The Big Story
For the Commanders, the story coming into this season is quarterback Jayden Daniels gelling with his offense coming into week two. Daniels won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award last season, and in his second year, is looking to click earlier than he did last season with a receiving core that includes Terry McLaurin, who recently held out for a three-year, $96 million deal just days before the season started. McLaurin is the main offensive target for Daniels, and Washington will also rely on a running back committee led by Austin Eckler, in his second year with the team. They both seemed to work out well on Sunday, though, with an easy 21-6 win over the New York Giants that featured a touchdown from Daniels to tight end Zach Ertz.
On the defensive side of the ball, Washington has a core group that could easily get burned if Jordan Love can get off to a hot start. The Commanders have the oldest starting roster in the NFL (on average), while Green Bay has the youngest roster of starters in the league. Take that for what it’s worth, but if Love wants to work the defense and send the occasional go route on Thursday night, it should be there for him to take advantage of.
Where to watch the Packers vs. Washington
Thursday’s game kicks off at 7:15 p.m. Central. You can watch it on Prime Video on streaming. Of course, you can also make a trip to any of Milwaukee’s many sports bars to watch the game, and if you’re out of town, you’re in luck; there’s a Packers bar in every state (and beyond.)
Elsewhere in the NFC North
Chicago and Detroit both have their second divisional matchup of the season when they meet one another on Sunday at Ford Field. The Vikings will also be home this week for Sunday Night Football, when they welcome the Atlanta Falcons on national TV.
As always, Go Pack Go!
