Join us for Commanders vs Packers tonight!

Join Packers fans worldwide for tonight’s CHTV WatchParty!

Join CHTV co-founders Corey Behnke and Aaron Nagler for our watch party of Green Bay's Thursday night showdown with the Washington Commanders! Kicking off at 7:10pm Lambeau Time.m

Commanders vs Packers: Gameday Preview

Many fans may still be basking in the victory over Detroit on Sunday. But as far as the Packers are concerned, it was back to business Monday morning for a short turnaround to Thursday night. Tonight, your Green Bay Packers will take on the Washington Commanders at 7:15 PM CST from Lambeau Field. The Packers sit at 1-0 coming off a 27-13 win over the Lions that seemed like pure domination. The Commanders didn't have much of a different result themselves, pulling off a 21-6 week 1 win over the New York Giants. Both teams have aspirations to be one of the dominant clubs in the NFC this season, making this game yet another big one for the Green and Gold.

The last time these two teams met was three years ago, when the Commanders pulled off a 23-21 victory over a slumping Packers team in the middle of what would be a five-game losing streak. A lot has changed for both teams in three years, as neither team has the same starting quarterback or starting running back. Aaron Rodgers was at the helm of the Packers for his final season with the team, going 23/35 for 194 yards and two touchdowns, while Taylor Heinicke was slinging the rock for Washington, going 20/33 for 201 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Running the ball for Green Bay was Aaron Jones, who only nabbed 23 yards on eight carries, and for Washington, it was Brian Robinson getting 73 yards off 20 carries. The only skill position player that remains on the Packers who saw snaps in that game is Romeo Doubs. Who had zero catches off four targets. So, needless to say, these are both far different teams than they were three years ago.

Be sure to check out our Game Day Preview before tonight’s action!

Packer Transplants 302 — Fast start for a fast turnaround

Aaron Nagler and Corey Behnke are back for Packer Transplants LIVE! They break down the big win over the Detroit Lions and looking ahead to tonight's showdown with the Washington Commanders.

Thursday Night Is Packers’ Chance To Firmly Establish Themselves As NFC Favorites

There was no more convincing win in Week 1 of the NFL season than the Green Bay Packers’ victory over their divisional rival, the Detroit Lions. The offense was firing on all cylinders for most of the game (minus the 3rd quarter), and the defense was flying around the field from start to finish. Special teams even contributed by not making any major mistakes. The vibes are high in Titletown coming off a big win after months of waiting for revenge on a Lions team that beat them twice last year. Unfortunately, there isn’t an entire week to relish the win, as another very good football team is coming in for a primetime showdown on Thursday Night Football. Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders will be in town for what is shaping up to be a very important early-season game in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

When looking at the schedule back in May, it seemed ideal to have an early-season Thursday night game—especially against a strong opponent like Washington. After Sunday’s game, this matchup feels like it’s coming at the perfect time. The vibe around Green Bay and in the locker room is as high as it has been in years, and the quick turnaround while players’ bodies are still fresh should be a big benefit. Playing at home certainly doesn’t hurt either. What’s most exciting about this matchup is that it really gives Matt LaFleur’s team a chance to establish themselves as the favorite in the NFC.

Yes, the Packers’ odds after the Micah Parsons trade technically already made them a favorite going from +2000 to +1200, but that was on paper. Winning games on the field is what truly establishes a team as the favorite. The Washington Commanders played in the NFC Championship just a season ago, and they return essentially the same roster this year in an attempt to run it back. They made a few upgrades, most notably at left tackle when they swung a major trade for Laremy Tunsil from the Houston Texans. They also brought in edge rusher Von Miller to boost their pass rush. While he isn’t what he used to be, he provides a veteran presence for the Commanders’ defense. He and his 129.5 career sacks are still going to command attention from opposing offenses.

Speaking of veteran presence, this matchup also presents a fun side note: the oldest team in the NFL, the Commanders, facing off against the youngest team in the NFL, the Packers.

The Packers now find themselves in a golden position to take two wins over two of the top teams in their conference early in the season that they will be jockeying with for playoff position in a few months. What once looked like a tough part of the schedule could turn out to be a blessing, giving this team valuable momentum and confidence with big wins—something they struggled to achieve a season ago. As if the Parsons trade wasn’t enough to put the league on notice, beating two playoff teams from last year to start the season certainly would. Take care of business Thursday, enjoy a small break, and then head to Cleveland and Dallas before the bye.

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Receiver by Committee Seems to Be Working for the Packers, For Now

The Green Bay Packers emphasized the need for a “go-to” receiver during the offseason. That started at Super Bowl week when star running back Josh Jacobs headed to radio row and told anybody who would listen that the team needed a number one wideout. During the offseason, GM Brian Gutekunst addressed that need in the draft by selecting Matthew Golden in the first round and Savion Williams in the third. But in Week 1, the Packers continued to do what they did in recent seasons which was receiver by committee. That seems to be working for the team, at least for now.

Last season, the Packers spread the ball around. No Packers receiver had more than 55 catches while five had 35 receptions or more. Also, no receiver or tight end had more than 76 targets. Four players, Dontayvion Wicks, Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, and Tucker Kraft, had 70 or more targets. Two more had 40 or more targets with Josh Jacobs (43) and Christian Watson (53) reaching that number.

Dropped passes were an issue for the Packers throughout the season. The team finished near the bottom of the NFL in drops and drop percentage. This was one of the reasons the team needed to add a more reliable option over the offseason.

In Week 1 against the Lions, however, the team stuck to the receiver by committee approach. Jordan Love threw only 22 passes. He completed 16 of them for 188 yards and two touchdowns. Love completed passes to 10 different receivers. Reed led all receivers with five targets. Doubs and Kraft had three each. Golden and Wicks had a pair of targets while five others had one each.

The decision to spread the ball around worked well against the Lions who are expected to have a good defense again this season. Love had plenty of time to throw thanks to the strong play of the offensive line, and he was able to find whoever the open target was and get the ball to him. The receivers also did a better job of holding onto the football in this game than they did a year ago.

Over the first few games, we will see whether the receivers continue to be more consistent catching the ball and reduce the number of drops. Players that continue to drop too many passes will likely see their number of targets and their playing time reduced. When Christian Watson returns to the lineup, he will also factor into the offense although how quickly he can return to a full-time role remains to be seen. Overall, the idea that the Packers won’t have one go-to receiver like Davante Adams was, remains likely for the short-term. If one of the receivers steps up and establishes himself as “the man”, Matt LaFleur will be fine with that. If not, keeping defenses guessing with a crew of talented but not elite wideouts can also work well for this offense as long as the receivers play more consistently.

This will be an interesting development to watch throughout the season.

Have the Packers become the bullies?

Now, all of the usual caveats about it just being week one apply here–you can’t necessarily extrapolate anything that happens in that first week (or really in the whole month of September) out over the full season; it’s simply too long and there are far too many variables for this to be seriously predictive of what’s to come.

That being said, it’s hard to recall a time that the Packers looked this complete in an opening day performance. Quite honestly, in looking back at opening days over the last several decades, the other truly dominant performance that stands out was the 34-3 whomping that the Packers delivered to the hapless Buccaneers in week one of their magical 1996 season. That Packer team was, of course, one of possibly the five greatest football teams to ever set foot on an NFL field and ended the season with the top offense, defense, AND special teams, with a Super Bowl championship to boot.

It’s far too soon to start making any comparisons, but this Packer team had all the hallmarks of a true contender. They played outstanding complementary football, had a smothering defensive performance, and the stars showed out when needed. There was never a moment in the game where the Lions seriously threatened to make things interesting.

On offense, the Packers’ offensive line did a marvelous job of creating a clean pocket for Jordan Love the entire game. The Lions’ whole game plan was to sell out against the run, which they did pretty well for two and a half quarters or so. But even knowing that the Lions were hoping the Packers would pass, Love was kept clean and was remarkably efficient. He hit seemingly every eligible receiver on the roster and delivered a few very impressive on-the-money throws at different depths and platforms.

On defense, this team was practically unrecognizable from the Joe Barry years, and seems to have made some significant strides forward even from last year. It’s hard to understate the meaning of the Micah Parsons addition; the team just plays differently with him. He affected the quarterback from his first snap and opened up opportunities for other rushers before eventually getting his own first sack in green and gold. With a much stronger pass rush, the pressure was off the secondary, and they could play tough and loose. Then you had the remarkable Edgerrin Cooper, who was all over the field and looks like an All Pro player in the making, and a Quay Walker who looked like a player who has put it together and is ready for a contract extension. The defenders were flying to the football and never let Detroit’s previously high-octane offense get comfortable.

It was a true role reversal. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen the Packers as the aggressors like this, playing a style of football that can work in just about any kind of matchup. It bodes well for what this team can accomplish moving forward. Again, it’s just one week. But based on what we saw, it’s hard not to have high expectations for what’s to come for the rest of the year.

Ahead Of The Pack: Commanders vs Packers Week 2 Prediction

Camille Davis, Monte Moore and Dan Kotnik preview the Week 2 showdown between the Washington Commanders and Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football.

Packers will honor Sterling Sharpe during halftime of Commanders game

The Packers are set to honor former wide receiver and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Sterling Sharpe in a special ceremony at halftime of Thursday’s Packers-Commanders game.

During the ceremony, Sharpe’s name will be unveiled on the northwest façade inside Lambeau Field, alongside the names of fellow Packers enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Sharpe will also be presented with his Pro Football Hall of Fame Ring of Excellence.

CHTV Nation Commanders vs Packers Preview

CHTV co-founder Aaron Nagler and Pack-A-Day Podcast creator Andy Herman preview the Green Bay Packers Thursday night showdown with the Washington Commanders.

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