Can the Commanders' dominant run game overcome the Packers' elite defense, or will penalties be their undoing at Lambeau Field in this Week 2 showdown?

On today's game plan episode of Locked On Commanders, we break down the Thursday Night Football matchup against the Green Bay Packers. The offense for Washington established a physical identity in Week 1, leaning on a powerful rushing attack that averaged a staggering 16.0 yards per carry off the right tackle. However, they now face an elite Packers run defense that held the Detroit Lions to just 2.1 yards per carry. The ultimate X-factor may be the legs of Jayden Daniels, whose mobility is the key to neutralizing a Packers pass rush that generated four sacks without blitzing.

Defensively, the script is flipped. The Commanders' massively improved interior run defense matches up perfectly against a Packers ground game that struggled mightily in their opener. The real test will be for the secondary, as the unit showed vulnerability to the deep pass in 2024 and in Week 1 —the exact area where Jordan Love and the Packers offense are "devastatingly effective".

Finally, we look at the biggest mismatch of all: discipline. The Commanders committed 12 penalties for 89 yards in their opener, while the Packers played a clean game with only four infractions. Can Washington play a clean game on the road to secure a 2-0 start?

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Images courtesy of USA Today, Bowie TV (YouTube.com/@Bowie_TV), and Abdullah Konte of the Washington Informer (Instagram: @dullahvision)

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David Harrison covers the Washington Commanders for Sports Illustrated’s CommanderGameday.com and contributes to WUSA9. On Locked On Commanders, David delivers in-depth insight, context, and analysis five days a week, all year long.

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