If football is like Rock, Paper, Scissors, Washington chose wrong almost every time.
Green Bay dictated the game on both sides of the ball. Their defense smothered Washington’s offense for nearly three quarters, while their offense carved up the Commanders’ defense at will.
The only saving grace? The scoreboard — showing a 27-18 loss — did not reflect the dominance.
Had Washington been able to move the ball, the game might have been tighter. The third quarter even offered a glimmer of hope, as Washington somehow pulled within seven. But at the key moment, they could not stop Green Bay and failed to answer back.
Positives were scarce. Rookie Trey Amos’ first-half breakup of a would-be touchdown stood out — and that was about it.
On the down side
Negatives, on the other hand, were plentiful.
With Micah Parsons newly added, Green Bay rushed four and played zone defense, keeping eyes locked on Jayden Daniels. That erased his running lanes, forced hurried throws and eliminated downfield options.
Even Washington’s usual lifelines — short passes, screens, bubble plays — were swallowed whole. As a template for shutting down JD5, it looked worryingly effective. The only consolation: not every team has a Micah Parsons.
Individually, the struggles were glaring. Marshon Lattimore continued his slide, beaten repeatedly and flagged for penalties — including a lucky escape when he shoved a receiver out of bounds after already being burned.
Laremy Tunsil, strong against the Giants, was exposed here, and rookie Josh Conerly looked just as overwhelmed.
McLaurin and Daniels still cannot connect deep. Last week’s near-miss looked costly; this week’s miss was costly, stalling a drive that might have kept Washington close. McLaurin’s decision to sit out practices now looks even more selfish now — and the offense is paying for it.
Then came the injuries
Austin Ekeler tore his Achilles late, ending his season and leaving a gaping hole in the backfield after the offseason trade of Brian Robinson. Defensive lineman Dietrich Wise went down too, his visible tears hinting at another major loss.
For a team with Super Bowl aspirations, I said they would need two things: luck and no injuries. They got neither.
If there is a silver lining, it is that Washington now has 10 days to regroup, recover and rethink its approach.
An early gut punch, yes — but perhaps the reality check they needed.
