Sep, 12 2025
A costly win in primetime
The Green Bay Packers left Thursday night with a 27-18 win over the Washington Commanders and a big problem. Wideout Jayden Reed broke his collarbone on what looked like a 39-yard touchdown early in the first quarter. The play was erased by a flag, and the celebration never happened. Instead, the night turned into damage control for a receiving group that was already thin. Head coach Matt LaFleur said Reed will miss “a lot of time,” and the early guidance, first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, is a 6–8 week timetable.
The Jayden Reed injury changed the tone of the night. With just over 11 minutes left in the opening quarter, Reed came down hard on his right side, with Commanders safety Quan Martin landing on him. He tried to shake it off, then headed straight to the locker room. Minutes later, he was ruled out. He finished without a catch after a solid Week 1 (three grabs, 45 yards, one touchdown).
Context matters here. Green Bay already entered the game without Christian Watson, who is rehabbing an ACL tear from Week 18 last season. That left the Packers leaning on young wideouts and their tight ends. It got even trickier because the Packers were also missing two starting offensive linemen. Pass protection needed quick throws and chips. The run game had to grind out enough to keep the command of the game.
Tucker Kraft answered the call. The tight end led all pass catchers with six receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown, working the seams and beating zone coverage on third down. Dontayvion Wicks stepped in as the most productive receiver with four catches for 44 yards. First-round pick Matthew Golden saw two targets but didn’t bring one in. Green Bay spread the ball, leaned on play-action, and accepted that yards after the catch would have to replace deep shots.
The score line tells you Washington kept hanging around. Green Bay built cushions, Washington clawed back, and the Packers’ defense held late. Drives stalled for the Commanders in key spots, and penalties cut into momentum. With field position flipping and special teams reshuffled due to inactives, Washington couldn’t cash in enough of its chances.
Reed’s non-touchdown that became an injury will linger in Green Bay’s mind. It was a designed shot, well-timed against a single-high look. The flag didn’t just wipe six points off the board; it took away one of the Packers’ best separators on a roster that needs speed on the outside.
LaFleur didn’t sugarcoat it postgame. He called it a significant loss and pointed to November as a hopeful window. For a team trying to keep early-season momentum, the path forward will depend on scheme tweaks and young players growing up fast.
Both teams were short-handed before kickoff. Here’s how the inactive lists looked and what they meant on the field.
- Commanders inactives: P Mitch Wishnowsky, QB Josh Johnson (emergency third QB), RB Chris Rodriguez Jr., LBs Ale Kaho and Kain Medrano, OT Trent Scott. Washington went without its two rookie linebackers, thinning special teams units and sub-packages.
- Packers notes: CB Nate Hobbs was active, giving Green Bay another body for nickel and dime looks, but the offense had to work around the absence of two starting offensive linemen.
Credit Green Bay’s adjustments. The staff turned to heavier formations and motion to create leverage, gave the quarterback clean, defined reads, and asked the backs and tight ends to help in protection. In the middle quarters, that plan produced chunk gains for Kraft, kept the sticks moving, and limited Washington’s pass rush from taking over. The Packers’ defense did its part, contesting throws and rallying to the ball to keep the Commanders behind the chains.
Washington had flashes. The front disrupted in spurts and the secondary closed fast on quick game concepts, especially after Reed exited and Green Bay’s vertical threat dipped. But the Commanders couldn’t finish enough drives. A couple of penalties extended Packers possessions, and missed tackles turned short passes into first downs. That’s how an 18-point night happens—too many threes, not enough sevens, and one or two self-inflicted wounds that tilt a close game.
What Reed’s absence means for Green Bay
The timeline—six to eight weeks for a broken collarbone—tracks with what teams often see for skill players. The first month is about bone healing and protecting the site. After that, it’s pain tolerance, range of motion, and confidence taking hits. You can run routes earlier than you can absorb contact, which is why returns often land closer to the back end of that window. LaFleur’s “sometime in November” target fits that pattern.
Expect Reed to be a candidate for short-term injured reserve, which would open a roster spot. Green Bay can elevate a receiver from the practice squad or add a veteran to stabilize the room. There’s also a chance the Packers simply double down on tight ends and backs in the passing game and ask their young wideouts to grow into bigger roles week by week.
Here’s what could change as the Packers navigate the next month or two:
- More 12 personnel: With Kraft rolling, pairing him with another tight end creates matchup problems and shores up the edges for a banged-up line.
- Motion and bunch sets: These help receivers like Wicks and Golden get clean releases without needing Reed’s one-on-one burst on the perimeter.
- Screen game volume: Quick hitters to tight ends and backs can stand in for the deep shots Reed often occupies.
- Play-action shots by design, not volume: Fewer bombs, but more schemed chances off max-protect to steal explosives.
From a depth chart view, Wicks becomes the default WR1 until Watson returns, with Golden asked to run a narrower, defined route tree—slants, crossers, digs—where timing matters more than pure speed. Kraft, meanwhile, has the chance to be the focal point on third down and in the red zone. His 124 yards and touchdown weren’t a one-off; they were a preview of how this passing game can operate without Reed.
Green Bay’s line health will drive a lot of this. Missing two starters on a short week is a tough ask, and it showed in how the Packers called the game—quicker tempo, shorter routes, and fewer long-developing concepts. If the line gets bodies back, you’ll see more under-center play-action and shot plays. If not, efficiency remains the priority.
For Washington, the inactives list told its own story. With both rookie linebackers down, sub-packages leaned on veterans and safeties, which helped against the run but left windows for Kraft between levels. Special teams also had to adjust with personnel changes in the kicking and coverage units. The defense got the Packers into third-and-medium often enough to stay in it, but the offense didn’t finish drives, and the penalties stung.
Fantasy angle? Reed belongs on IR spots in season-long leagues if you have them. Kraft is already roster-worthy after this showing, and Wicks becomes a volume play as long as Watson and Reed are out. Golden is a watch-list name; if his routes expand, he could pop later, but for now he’s a speculative add.
Green Bay sits with early-season momentum and a hard truth. Reed’s availability was part of the plan to balance the passing game—speed outside, size in the middle, backs in the flats. That plan needs a rewrite for the next month or two. The good news is Thursday showed a blueprint: lean on the tight end, get the ball out, and let the defense win leverage late.
LaFleur’s message was steady. They’ll be cautious with Reed, they won’t rush him back, and they expect contributions by committee to cover the gap. If November is realistic, the Packers’ job is simple: stack wins, avoid more attrition, and be ready to fold Reed back in when the calendar turns. For one night, they managed it. The tougher part starts now.