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September 12, 2025
Who Won Thursday Night Football Last Night NFL: The Commanders finally saw a window to fight back. The Packers had controlled the first half with ease. That window opened on the very first snap of the third quarter.
Deebo Samuel exploded for a 44-yard return that set the ball at midfield. Down 14-3, Washington suddenly had a pulse. It was the kind of explosive play they had been missing all night.
The spark didn’t last long. Washington picked up one gritty first down, then the drive unraveled. Jayden Daniels was buried for a 10-yard loss on third down.
Micah Parsons and Edgerrin Cooper crashed in together to make the stop. Matt Gay lined up for another try. He missed, his second straight failed kick in as many series.
The Commanders hung around. They finally cut the deficit to 17-10 and made it a one-score game. But the momentum stopped there. Green Bay marched right back with a touchdown drive.
Washington’s defense, gassed and worn down, kept giving up big plays. A late touchdown from the Commanders changed nothing. The 27-18 final only made the loss look closer than it really was.
The Full Extent of the Ugly Truth
Washington finished with only 230 total yards and 51 rushing yards. Both were their lowest marks since Jayden Daniels arrived.
His 4.8 yards per attempt was another season low. Daniels owned the performance. “It starts with me,” he said. “It starts with the line and with every skill player on offense. No one is being singled out. We all share the blame, and we’ll get back to work.”
Washington’s offensive line had no answers for Green Bay. Micah Parsons, a familiar thorn in their side, did the most damage. He’s now sitting at 11 sacks in nine career games against them.
Daniels was under fire on nearly half his dropbacks, the highest rate of his career. Even without blitzing, Green Bay pressured him more than 43% of the time.
Parsons piled up eight pressures, repeatedly beating rookie tackle Josh Conerly Jr., who continues to struggle in his new role.
The box score credited Parsons with only half a sack. But the numbers don’t tell the full story. His constant double-teams stripped Washington of options.
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Every extra blocker meant one fewer receiver in the route tree and more favorable matchups for his teammates.
The Packers brought pressure with just four rushers. That let the linebackers and secondary stay locked on Daniels’ scrambling. He managed only 17 yards on seven carries.
Washington’s quick passing game never found its rhythm. It’s a core feature of Kliff Kingsbury’s offense. But it falls flat without a strong ground attack or the threat of a deep shot.
“We just never found the rhythm we needed, not from the very beginning,” coach Dan Quinn admitted. Green Bay’s front dictated the game and played with complete freedom.
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Washington’s offense looked a step behind all night. On screen plays, defensive backs beat blockers with ease. They closed fast and blew up short passes before they had a chance.
The Commanders struggled to create big plays. The Packers, on the other hand, thrived on them. They produced nine gains of 15 yards or more. Washington managed just two.
Jordan Love and Tucker Kraft delivered the biggest blow with a 57-yard connection. Together, they finished with six catches for 124 yards and a touchdown. “Those deep shots made the real difference,” Dan Quinn said.
The defense wasn’t the main issue. In many ways, it has improved from last season. Still, the lack of timely stops stood out. Green Bay converted five of 12 chances on third down.
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One came on a third-and-9, when Jordan Love scrambled for 14 yards. That play extended the drive and led to the Packers’ first touchdown.
Washington’s run defense held up decently but lacked the dominance shown in Week 1 against the Giants. Green Bay rushed 30 times for 135 yards, averaging 4.5 yards per carry. Five days earlier, the Giants managed just 74 yards on 23 carries.
The situation could get tougher. Austin Ekeler left the game with an Achilles injury. Deatrich Wise Jr. also exited with a quad problem. Both were taken off the field by cart. Coach Dan Quinn had no additional updates after the game.
“It’s a tough loss, but we’ve got players ready to step up, and they’re more than capable,” Daniels said about Ekeler’s injury. “Losing a veteran is never easy.”
Washington had to scrap for every positive play, and Matt Gay’s two missed kicks didn’t help. Both came from over 50 yards out.
Gay struggled in the preseason, and his long-range stats from last year—just three made from nine attempts beyond 50 yards—don’t inspire much confidence.
After cycling through four kickers last season, Washington can’t afford to add another concern to its list over the next 10 days. Washington’s offense hasn’t clicked the way the team hoped through two games.
After a strong opener, the defense allowed too many big plays—a problem that lingered from last season. The kicking game is shaky again, and two key veterans went down with injuries.
As Coach Dan Quinn stressed, the team simply “didn’t hit the marks” it was aiming for. Facing a team like Green Bay showed just how far they still have to go. Even so, the season is still young.
“We’ve got 10 days until the next game, so there’s no point in dwelling on this one,” Daniels said. “It’s early in the season, and nobody in this locker room is hitting the panic button.
We faced a strong team and fell short. Now we just turn our attention to the next matchup.”
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