Commanders' season outlook just got way brighter without lifting a finger

The Washington Commanders did not have a positive outing in Week 2, losing to the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football. They looked like a completely different team from the rest of the Jayden Daniels era, with the offense stagnant and the defense inconsistent at best.

For a team that entered the season with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations, it was less than ideal. But it does beg the question: did the result say more about the Commanders, or the Packers?

That answer trended more towards the latter.

Week 2 may be the most important of the NFL season in terms of discovering new context about every team's abilities. Instead of only being able to measure each squad up against who it has played, you can also learn more about its Week 1 opponent's Week 2 matchup and how the pendulum swings.

Commanders' indifferent early season form doesn't look so bad now

For the Commanders, those two teams are the New York Giants and the Detroit Lions.

The Giants — who Washington held to six points in Week 1 — exploded offensively against the Dallas Cowboys in another NFC East rivalry game.

Though Dallas ultimately won in overtime, this was a completely different Giants team than the one the Commanders played. Russell Wilson looked like his old self, passing for 450 yards and three touchdowns. Malik Nabers, who was relatively held in check by Washington, caught nine passes for 167 receiving yards and two scores.

This could also be an indictment of how poor the Cowboys' defense is. But then again, they nearly beat the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles on the road in Week 1. So, if anyone comes out of that game looking good, it's the Commanders.

The Lions — who Green Bay beat 27-13 in Week 1 — absolutely dismantled the Chicago Bears, racking up more than 50 points during a one-sided demolition job. They looked back to being the team that led the NFL in scoring in 2024, embarrassing their former offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson, along the way.

Obviously, every team's performance is fluid from week to week. But what we can take from the Commanders in 2025 is that they're significantly better than the Giants, who went toe-to-toe with the Cowboys, who were competitive against the Eagles. They also lost to the Packers by a smaller margin than the Lions, who look like they'll be an NFC heavyweight once again.

Washington will be just fine, despite the claims of doom and gloom merchants after the team's loss at Lambeau Field.