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5 Takeaways From Packers 28 - 17 Commanders: Tucker Kraft’s Big Night Tucker Kraft’s big night There is a long list of positives to hit on for the Packers on both sides of the ball from Thursday night’s win, but perhaps the headline was Kraft announcing himself to a national audience. After a hot start to the season in which Kraft has racked up 140 yards and two touchdowns, he is now in some exclusive company in terms of production at the tight end position. In his last 17 games, Kraft is now up to 57 catches for 796 yards and nine touchdowns. Only four tight ends have more yards in that same span (Brock Bowers, Travis Kelce, Jonnu Smith and Sam LaPorta) and all of them had at least 94 targets, while Kraft only has 78. Kraft leads all tight ends in yards per target (10.2) and yards per reception (14). He is seeing more target downfield and has fully arrived as one of the premier players at his position. Packers defense dominates again Jayden Daniels and the Commanders offense presented a different challenge to that of Jared Goff and the Lions in week one, with Daniels a much more dangerous threat to run the ball, but it did not matter, the Packers defense suffocated them all the same. After facing one of the league’s most feared rushing attacks last week, and one of the most mobile quarterbacks on Thursday night, Green Bay has allowed just 97 rushing yards on 41 attempts, a 2.36 average. The Packers effectively contained Daniels, who did not pick up a first down on any of his scrambles, but they did not have to sacrifice pressure to keep him under wraps. Green Bay racked up 33(!) pressures on Daniels in the game, led by Micah Parsons (no surprise there) with eight and Devonte Wyatt with seven. Ten Packers defenders in total had a pressure and six different players had at least half a sack. Jeff Hafley’s defense did not allow a touchdown in the first three quarters in week one and two, and could not be off to a better start to the season. Room for improvement for Packers offense Down two starters, and their two highest paid players on the offensive line, it was to be expected the Packers offense could look a little more disjointed than they did a week ago, and losing Jayden Reed on the game’s first drive did not help matters. Jordan Love and Matthew Golden were not quite in sync on two deep bombs which could have padded the score, while Brandon McManus clanked a field goal off the upright. And still, the Packers put up 27 points for the second straight week. There is more meat on the bone for this Green Bay offense, and more layers to unlock, but despite being compromised up front and making several unforced errors, they still had too much for a Washington defense which allowed six points last week. That bodes well for the rest of the season. Dontayvion Wicks is back in a groove Wicks played an underrated but important role in Green Bay’s victory on Thursday night. He only had four catches for 44 yards, but converted all four for first-downs, helping to keep the offense moving. He had six targets in all, with Love just missing him on a deep pass which could have resulted in a touchdown. Wicks looked smooth and was catching the ball with confidence, putting the drop issues from 2024 behind him. With Reed expected to be out for at least six weeks with a broken collarbone, Wicks will continue to be a valued part of Green Bay’s offense moving forward. Shaky special teams Green Bay’s special teams units did not match the impressive performances of the offense and defense against Washington, having a tough night in all phases. They did not return the ball well, backing up the offense regularly. They also allowed several big returns from the Commanders to set them up near midfield, and a 15-yard facemask penalty by Ty’Ron Hopper also gave Washington good field position on another punt. McManus’ missed field goal was close, and he rebounded by drilling a 56-yarder later in the game, while Daniel Whelan was still punting the ball well, but the Packers’ coverage units left plenty to be desired and must improve in future games. Filed Under: FeaturedGreen Bay PackersMark Oldacres PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE. __________________________ Mark Oldacres is a sports writer from Birmingham, England and a Green Bay Packers fan. You can follow him on twitter at @MarkOldacres __________________________ NFL Categories: Green Bay PackersWashington CommandersTags: Packers newspackers commandersTucker KraftMicah ParsonsJordan Love Like 0 points http://dlvr.it/TN2Yhh