Week two in the young NFL season opened with the Green Bay Packers welcoming the Washington Commanders to Lambeau Field in a Thursday Night Football matchup that very well could be a playoff preview down the road.
The Green and Gold would come out victorious 27-18 thanks to stellar performances put in by Jordan Love, Tucker Kraft, Javon Bullard, and Keisean Nixon.
Coming into the ball game, Green Bay announced that week one starting o-linemen Zach Tom and Aaron Banks would be inactive, placing extra pressure on the front five to step up in their absence.
Without them, Josh Jacobs struggled to find much in the run game and averaged under four yards per carry, but Love’s 292 passing yards, 124 of which went to Kraft, was enough to get the job done.
That 124 yards from Kraft was a career high who accounted for six grabs and a score.
Despite putting up record numbers, he told SeehaferNews.com that he’s not interested in personal accolades.
He said, “I just want to be one of the best teammates for my team. Regardless of tiers, where people put me, or how many people are in my DM’s…I just want to be the best tight end I can be for the Green Bay Packers”
However, it was the defense that truly shined tonight, and one of the biggest factors in the game was Nixon who finished the game with an impressive five pass breakups to lead all players.
His fellow defensive backs, Bullard and Xavier McKinney, said they loved what they saw from him tonight, but this type of performance doesn’t come as a surprise.
With a sense of pride, McKinney said, “I’m proud of him man, he’s been doing what is expected of him. He made a big statement going off of last year about being CB 1 and tonight is a good reason as to why he’s been playing that way…I expect him to keep doing that moving forward.”
While Bullard added, “We say it all the time at practice, man, Kei a baller. Despite the outside noise we sometimes hear, he makes plays all the time. I’m not surprised at all, it was just time for the world to see I guess.”
Bullard himself was another young defensive back who made numerous good plays in this one, particularly when defending the run and passes out to the flat. He told us he takes pride in his ability to help out the front eight with his physicality.
“We have to go out there and play fast and physical, there’s only one way to play and that’s fast and physical. We have the tools to do it, and I think this defense can be very special,” said the second year safety.
Thus far, Bullard’s claims of a special defense are spot on, having allowed just 31 points through the first two games.
New addition Micah Parsons again made an impact in his limited role, combining with Edgerrin Cooper for a sack on star Washington QB Jayden Daniels.
Rashan Gary would also account for 1.5 sacks himself to lead the Packers defense in another dominant showing.
Despite the victory, it is not all smiles for the Packers as starting wide receiver Jayden Reed left the game in the first quarter with a shoulder injury and would not return.
At this time, the status of that shoulder injury remains unclear.
Now, after a second straight convincing victory for Green Bay, they will have nine days off before hitting the road for the first time this year as they travel to Cleveland to battle the Browns in week three.
