Gut Reactions: Packers dispatch Commanders with relative ease
Aaron chats with Packers fans worldwide after the team's 27-18 victory over the Washington Commanders on Thursday Night Football.
By PackerAaron
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Comments (21)
LayingTheLawe
September 12, 2025 at 12:29 am
What a luxury it is to win a game by more than one score, over a playoff team - and feel like they didn't play all that great. Hopefully, a lot of those "not great" parts on offense were due to Oline injury issues. Tackle seemed a big problem and I wonder if they would have been better off with Morgan out at tackle and someone else kicked inside until the starters return.
I don't know if it was in the gameplan before that, but the Packers appeared to go to a lot of 12 personnel after Reed left. Musgrave made a couple plays and Kraft feasted. Lafleur has long been saying over and over that he doesn't have a WR1 he has a WR team. The NFL at large is obsessed with who is your number 1 target, but the Packers appear to thrive on the idea that they don't have one, and instead have a collection of good targets and will use all of them in specific ways. You can definitely see a world where the Packers have a different leading receiver each week, and drive all the pundits insane.
They have played two playoff level teams with great left tackles and the D is harassing the QB like crazy. Because of this, the DB's are sitting on the ball and playing aggressively. It is fun to watch.
2 - 0 feels good.
Snap the ball
September 12, 2025 at 07:08 am
I always said who ever is open the most is the number 1 receiver
Real glad to see Musgrave get going.
rstain99
September 12, 2025 at 08:50 am
Crazy to think I would complain after 2nd huge win, but the offense drives me nuts, 1st quarter they fly in the high speed lane go ahead by one score and little by little take their foot off the pedal. Stretch the field but when 3-4 or 3-6 why are we going 40 yards down the field. Incomplete, Health made a great play if not for that Love and his down field throwing was eh! Control the clock as Hank Stram (KC coach for you young people) used to say come on boys lets matriculate the ball down the field. Hope the intermediate passing game gets brought in soon, they have two very good TE's plus Fitzpatrick BTW was called for holding and that was a bad call D tackle actually held him. Glad they held onto Doubs he is all business just gets it done. Reed out 6-8 as just heard.
LayingTheLawe
September 12, 2025 at 12:27 pm
Sometimes the Packers offense looks like it has the most complicated, ingenious play designs you ever saw - and then all of a sudden on the next drive they look like they are just running it up the middle and then chucking the ball 40 yards downfield and hoping.
Maybe we have to live with that having a QB that wants to push the ball downfield so aggressively. When they had to have a drive when it got to one score, they put together a beaut. So, life is good.
Major Snafu
September 12, 2025 at 06:28 am
Game balls to the whole team with honorable mention to Love, Nixon and Kraft. The only downside, they need to stop the penalties via dumb mistakes.
Plus not totally sure of the pass rush yet. They are substituting which is good but seems to be confusion as to roles. But they didn't let Daniels run around a lot and he looked pissed.. If he is reduced to just passing it's a win for whomever they play..
TKWorldWide
September 12, 2025 at 07:05 am
I thought the pass rush was very good! 4 sacks, 12 hits on Jayden Daniels.
Since'75
September 12, 2025 at 07:25 am
I was gonna say, Parsons was eating their lunch, he only had a half sack, but he had like 8 pressures and 3 QB hits.
When Parsons rushes, the QB usually better get rid of the ball in under 2.5 seconds.
TKWorldWide
September 12, 2025 at 07:28 am
Brian Bulaga said that a good rush can speed up a QB’s internal clock for the whole game, and I think we saw that last night. Whoo!
Oh, and they stuff the run as well. 2 games and have surrendered under 100 yards total. I’ll take it!
LayingTheLawe
September 12, 2025 at 12:28 pm
This game made you feel like 2024 at times. All the penalties killing drives. But two 90 plus yard drives - and when the score got close, a killer drive to put in the dagger.
SicSemperTyrannis
September 12, 2025 at 06:53 am
Mr Nixon had 5, count them FIVE PBU's!
TKWorldWide
September 12, 2025 at 07:28 am
Playing with so much confidence knowing he can trust the pass rush!
dobber
September 12, 2025 at 07:46 am
Herbstreit said it last night: when your rush is getting home, your job as a CB is much easier. You know there's not likely to be time for the QB to go over the top, and you can keep the play in front of you. Nixon was physical and he was playing the ball all night.
Snap the ball
September 12, 2025 at 07:01 am
The Commander kicker missed two field goals
We have 8 games at home just played 2 15 games left and 9 on the road
Snap the ball
September 12, 2025 at 07:03 am
They had great field position the whole game we didn’t. We had some long drives
Houndog
September 12, 2025 at 07:34 am
Yes, and that is representative of how the ST's played last night, if they weren't giving up yards on returns, they were giving up yards with penalties! ST was not what they looked like last Sunday, and penalties were a problem all night, everywhere, and thanks to a great defense they overcame things and won.
The offense went "McCarthy Special" (run-two-three-kick, run-two-three- kick) for a short time again in the 3rd quarter, but woke up quickly to put up points. The 30 yard incompletions on 3rd and 4 still piss me off, even more so with the TE's having a field day!
I thought both teams looked gassed at the end of what to them was a short week!
dobber
September 12, 2025 at 07:47 am
Either Washington is really good at slowing down or redirection gunners, or Whelan is continuing to outkick his coverage.
TKWorldWide
September 12, 2025 at 07:30 am
In my lifetime, I’ve probably preferred watching offense about 52/48 over watching defense, but this year’s team is making me rethink that ratio. Dang, it’s been fun so far!
KurtMc
September 12, 2025 at 07:34 am
The missed Washington FG before half was huge. Glad to see better 3rd conversion. IMO, MLF always take the points (FG opportunity first drive). D is playing inspired. Haven't seen this intensity since I can't remember. Riding the wave of Packer goodness while it last's. It's still a long season.
GPG
dobber
September 12, 2025 at 07:50 am
I didn't have any problem with going for it on 4th and 2 at about the WAS 33 on that first drive. A 50-yard FG isn't a gimme, and you're not going to punt. LaF has never been afraid to go for 4th and short.
I haven't looked at the play again to see who or what might have been available underneath to move the chains. Love didn't miss Golden down the middle by very much...he needed to lead him to the goalpost and ended up underthrowing the route...but it was there.
Strat
September 12, 2025 at 08:13 am
I was glad to see Luke Musgrave get involved with the offense again. The guy has good hands and speed as well. The Parsons acquisition has energized this team, you can see it both weeks, can't remember the last time they started games like that. Josh Jacobs does the same as far as I'm concerned. Even on minimum gain runs, he still hits like a hammer. Was that an improved and hopefully improving Van Ness? Two wins against top tier playoff teams. Good start for sure, but it's early.
Starrbrite
September 12, 2025 at 09:01 am
My game ball goes to Wicks—he’s catching it this year instead of dropping.
It’s interesting that it our oline seems to better at pass pro rather than run blockers; I thot it would the opposite.
This defense is the best since ‘96.
Go Packers!!!