The Green Bay Packers are riding high off a dominant Week 1 win over the Detroit Lions, but Thursday night brings a new kind of challenge. Hosting the Washington Commanders-a team that made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game last season-this primetime clash is more than just another game. It’s an early-season measuring stick for a Packers squad eager to prove that last year’s lone win over a playoff team was more anomaly than trend.
The energy in Green Bay is electric, thanks in large part to the arrival of Micah Parsons. His debut was limited to just 30 snaps, but he made his presence known, and that workload is expected to increase significantly in Week 2. That’s good news, because the Packers are going to need every ounce of firepower they can muster on defense-especially with the loss of a key rotational piece up front.
Brenton Cox Jr. has been placed on injured reserve after suffering a groin injury in the Week 1 win. He’ll be sidelined for at least the next four games, which adds another layer of adversity for a Packers defense that’s already navigating some thin depth early in the year.
Cox might not have been a starter, but his impact was undeniable. In just seven games last season, he racked up 12 tackles, five tackles for loss, and four sacks-numbers that speak to his disruptive ability off the edge.
Even more telling? His 17.5% pressure rate, which made him one of Green Bay’s most efficient pass rushers on a per-snap basis.
That kind of production isn’t easy to replace, especially when you’re facing a Washington offense that knows how to scheme around pressure.
Fortunately, the Packers’ pass rush looked sharp in Week 1. Lukas Van Ness was a force, generating four pressures and a sack on just 19 pass-rushing snaps.
Rashan Gary added five pressures and a sack on 31 snaps, while Parsons chipped in two pressures and a sack of his own on 23 snaps. That’s the kind of pass-rushing trio that can keep offensive coordinators up at night.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t questions. Kingsley Enagbare was held without a pressure on 15 pass-rushing snaps against Detroit, and that’s where the absence of Cox could really be felt. The Packers will need someone to step up and fill that rotational void-whether it’s Enagbare bouncing back, rookie Barryn Sorrell getting his feet wet, or Hafley dialing up creative looks to keep the pressure coming.
And the injury bug hasn’t just hit the defensive side. On offense, the Packers are dealing with some key absences along the line. Right tackle Zach Tom (oblique) and left guard Aaron Banks (ankle/groin) are both expected to miss Thursday’s game, which puts even more pressure on the offense to stay in rhythm against a physical Commanders front.
Still, the silver lining here is that Parsons gives this defense a different gear. With a bigger workload in Week 2, he has a chance to be a game-wrecker-and the kind of tone-setter Green Bay hasn’t had in years. If they can weather the injury storm and keep the momentum rolling, they’ll be in good shape not just for Thursday night, but for the long haul.
Cox is eligible to return in Week 7, and if the Packers can stay afloat until then, he could rejoin a team that’s gaining serious traction in the NFC North. For now, it’s about depth, execution, and proving that last week’s win was no fluke.
