Packers beat Commanders to maintain hot start as Love shines | NFL

Jordan Love threw for 292 yards and two touchdowns, and the Green Bay Packers defeated the Washington Commanders 27-18 on Thursday night.

Tight end Tucker Kraft caught six passes for a career-high 124 yards to help the Packers go 2-0 for the first time since 2020. Love and Kraft connected for an eight-yard touchdown with 8:57 left to thwart the Commanders’ comeback attempt.

Love went 19 of 31 to lead a Packers offense that was playing without injured linemen Zach Tom and Aaron Banks. Love’s other touchdown pass was a five-yarder to Romeo Doubs in the first quarter.

Washington (1-1) gained just 11 yards in the first quarter and didn’t reach the end zone until scoring a pair of touchdowns in the final period. This could be a costly game for the Commanders, as running back Austin Ekeler injured his right achilles tendon in the fourth quarter and defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr was carted off the field with a quadriceps injury in the second period.

Jayden Daniels was 24 of 42 for 200 yards with touchdown passes of 20 yards to Zach Ertz and 10 yards to Deebo Samuel.

The Packers have won their last seven home matchups with Washington, haven’t beaten Green Bay on the road since a 20-17 victory at Milwaukee County Stadium in 1988. Washington’s last win at Lambeau Field was a 16-7 decision in 1986.

Green Bay built a 14-3 halftime lead by putting together two touchdown drives of 90-plus yards.

Doubs’s touchdown capped a seven-play, 96-yard drive that included a 57-yard completion to Kraft, plus a 14-yard scramble by Love on third-and-nine from Washington’s 19.

Josh Jacobs made it 14-0 with a two-yard touchdown run to finish a 10-play, 92-yard march that featured a 37-yard completion to Malik Heath, who did an outstanding job of keeping both feet inbounds while making a catch at Washington’s sideline. Jacobs finished with 84 yards on 23 carries.

Washington gained 23 yards on their first three series before getting on the board with a 51-yard field goal from Matt Gay, who later missed kicks of 58 and 52 yards.

After Brandon McManus’ 22-yard field goal made it 17-3 in the third quarter, Washington cut the margin to 17-10 on Ertz’s touchdown catch with 13:45 remaining. But the Packers reached the end zone on their next series, and McManus added a 56-yard field goal later in the fourth quarter. Samuel’s touchdown closed the scoring with 2:53 left.