The score says Green Bay handled its business. The injury report says it came at a steep price. In a bruising Thursday night that ended 27-18 for the Packers over the Commanders at Lambeau Field, wideout Jayden Reed left after 11 minutes with a broken collarbone, the kind of blow that can change a team’s month, not just a game.
Both teams set the tone before kickoff with who didn’t suit up. The inactive lists told you where coaches trusted their depth, where they were thin, and how they planned to survive a short week. Then the game ripped up parts of the plan anyway.
Commanders vs Packers: inactives and the short‑week chess match
Washington went top-heavy with experience. Running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. was a healthy scratch for the second straight week, a sign the staff felt good about the current rotation and its special teams mix. On a Thursday road trip, coaches often ride with vets who’ve seen the chaos before. Two rookie linebackers sat, including undrafted free agent Ale Kaho, reinforcing that point.
The Commanders also made a couple of procedural calls. Punter Mitch Wishnowsky was inactive, and quarterback Josh Johnson dressed as the emergency third quarterback. Under the league’s emergency QB rule, that third passer remains inactive unless the first two are forced out, so Johnson’s status was expected and strategic.
- RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. (healthy scratch)
- LB Ale Kaho (inactive)
- Another rookie LB (inactive)
- P Mitch Wishnowsky (inactive)
- QB Josh Johnson (emergency third QB)
Green Bay’s list carried a different kind of weight. Two starting offensive linemen were ruled out, the exact scenario coaches dread on a three-day turnaround. That shifts everything—from protections to the run menu to how often you ask tight ends to chip. The Packers did get a lift in the secondary with a veteran cornerback available, adding some stability on the back end.
You could see the ripple effects in how Green Bay called it. More quick game. Extra help on the edges. Less long-developing stuff unless the look was perfect. Nights like this are why tight end rooms stay ready and why the backs know they’re going to spend half their snaps helping in protection.
Jayden Reed’s injury flips Green Bay’s early-season script
The moment that changed the night happened on a deep shot that didn’t even count. Reed hauled in what looked like a 39-yard touchdown, then slammed down on his right side with Washington safety Quan Martin arriving and landing across him. The flag wiped the score. The landing ended Reed’s night. He walked off holding his shoulder area, went straight to the locker room, and was ruled out before the quarter ended.
After the game, head coach Matt LaFleur didn’t sugarcoat it—Reed will miss “a lot of time.” Early expectations point to six to eight weeks on the shelf, which puts a possible return in November if the rehab stays on track. For a team already navigating receiver injuries, that’s a second punch to the same spot.
Remember, the Packers are still without Christian Watson as he rehabs the ACL tear sustained in Week 18 of last season. Take away two dynamic wideouts, and the offense has to change shape. You lean on bigger bodies over the middle. You ask role players to become volume guys. You dial up manufactured touches for whoever can stress a defense horizontally.
Tight end Tucker Kraft answered the call. He led the passing game with six grabs for 124 yards and a touchdown, turning chip-and-release looks into explosives and bailing out a patched-up offensive line. Dontayvion Wicks handled the chain-moving stuff with four catches for 44 yards, a steady presence when the ball needed to come out fast. First-rounder Matthew Golden had a learning night—two targets, no catches—typical of a young receiver thrown into a bigger role on a short-week stage. Reed didn’t log a stat in this one, but he flashed in the opener with three catches for 45 yards and a score. That’s the burst Green Bay has to replace.
So what now? For injuries expected to last 6–8 weeks, the calculus usually points to injured reserve with a return designation. That creates a roster spot while the player rehabs, and it gives the front office flexibility to elevate a practice-squad receiver, sign a veteran, or double down on tight end usage. With two linemen still working back, it also keeps the game plan clean: heavy formations, play-action shots when the protection look is right, and a steady diet of high-percentage throws.
The irony is the Packers’ blueprint worked even after the injury. Short week. Short-handed line. Yet the offense, re-centered around Kraft and the quick game, found enough. The defense forced Washington to earn every yard, and the situational football—third downs, red zone, the four-minute finish—tilted green and gold.
For Washington, the inactive choices tell you how they viewed the matchup. They valued special teams and veteran linebackers over rookie flyers, a common move when you’re traveling on compressed rest. Sitting Rodriguez again suggests the staff likes the current backfield split and pass-protection dependability. On nights when possessions are limited, trust matters as much as traits.
One subplot worth watching is how the Commanders’ linebacker room evolves after this. Rookie inactives in September aren’t a verdict; they’re a timestamp. Short weeks create conservative decisions. As the calendar flips and practice time expands, those young players tend to get worked in on packages and special teams.
Green Bay’s offensive line situation is another slow burn. Losing two starters forces constant adjustment. You manage it with tempo to tire out pass rushers, with motion to mess with reads, and with three-step concepts that turn into extended handoffs. When the line heals, the lesson sticks: the offense got live reps in how to win ugly and efficient, which usually pays off later.
Back to Reed. Collarbone timelines vary by fracture type and whether surgery is involved, but six to eight weeks is a common window for a return to contact. The real question is functionality when he’s back—can he handle hits, high-point balls, and traffic across the middle without hesitation? The Packers don’t need him to be December Reed in his first game back. They need him healthy enough to threaten leverage and tilt coverages again.
In the meantime, expect more targets for Kraft, a rising share for Wicks, and a concerted effort to get Golden comfortable early in games with easy wins—screens, pivots, and motion crosses. If Green Bay steals explosives off play-action while staying ahead of the sticks, they can ride defense and discipline until the receiver room stabilizes.
Thursday nights are cruel to depth charts. This one was no different. The Packers got the win they needed. They also got a new problem to solve, one that will test their flexibility for the next two months.
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