On the back of a clean and efficient day for the offense against the Detroit Lions in the season opener, the Green Bay Packers are getting ready to host the Commanders on Thursday Night Football, looking for more.
Based on the talent and tendencies Washington has on defense, here are the keys to the game when Green Bay has the ball in Week 2:
Run the ball
Washington’s head coach and defensive play caller Dan Quinn is one of the more respected defensive minds in the league and has a proven track record of success, but in three meetings with Matt LaFleur, the Packers have gotten the best of him.
Green Bay has scored 30, 31 and 48 points in three games against Quinn’s defenses since LaFleur took over as head coach; one when Quinn was leading the Falcons, and two when he was DC with the Cowboys.
In general, Quinn was not working with world beaters on defense last year, and while they were a respectable unit considering that, they still ranked 30th in the NFL in expected points added on defense against both the run and the pass.
Despite beating up on a Giants offense which looked putrid on Sunday, there are vulnerabilities to exploit on the Commanders defense.
In the last two matchups, Aaron Jones had 138 and 118 yards rushing for the Packers, and Green Bay’s ability to grind down Quinn’s defense on the ground was crucial in the 48-32 playoff win over Dallas in early 2024.
Running the ball efficiently should be a priority for the Packers this week, as the numbers suggest it is still a weakness of Quinn’s defenses. In 2024, the Commanders ranked third in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game, but 30th in rushing yards allowed.
Washington’s interior defenders are more pass rushers than run stuffers, and their edge rushers are not exactly edge setters either. However, linebacker Bobby Wagner is still getting the job done at age 35 and remains a force against the run.
Green Bay labored to get the run game going in week one versus the Lions, eventually finding some joy in the second half, and they should continue to commit to running the football on Thursday night, and Josh Jacobs could be in for a big game.
Handle the blitz
In their Week 1 win, Washington feasted on an overmatched New York offensive line, racking up 24 pressures as well as 22 run stops (tackles resulting in a failure for the offense).
Washington may not have an elite pass rusher, but they do have a deep stable of players who can rotate in and out, and with the Packers possibly missing two starters on the offensive line as Zach Tom and Aaron Banks nurse injuries, the Commanders could cause some real problems.
Up front, there is Daron Payne, Javon Kinlaw and Johnny Newton, who would likely have been a first-round pick in 2024 if not for injury.
Payne has had at least five sacks in each season going back to 2020, and had two on Sunday, while Kinlaw also had five in 2024. Kinlaw and Newton combined for seven pressures versus the Giants.
On the edge, Dorance Armstrong is Washington’s best rusher, racking up ten sacks last year and six pressures in Week 1 alone.
Their other traditional pass rushers are more solid than spectacular in Deatrich Wise, Jacob Martin and the 2025 version of Von Miller, but they do have a moveable piece in Frankie Luvu, a player capable of rushing the passer and also playing off ball linebacker. He had nine sacks in 2024.
While they did not have to send extra bodies at the quarterback to get home on Sunday, Quinn is traditionally a blitz-heavy play caller. In 2024, Washington ranked 5th in blitz rate, although it did not pay off all that well, as they only ranked 14th in pressure rate.
With the Packers’ offensive line potentially in flux, communication and cohesion up front will be paramount, and Jacobs will need to match his excellent performance in pass pro from Week 1 if Green Bay is to keep Jordan Love clean throughout the game.
If the Packers can run the ball effectively and protect Love, they will be just fine on offense.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Commanders defense scouting report: Josh Jacobs vital for Packers offensive success
Reporting by Mark Oldacres, Packers Wire / Packers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
