GREEN BAY – Packers quarterback Jordan Love couldn't have asked for better pass protection to open the season last Sunday.
Love wasn't sacked by the Lions, was hit just twice on his 23 drop-backs, and scrambled only once in posting a 128.6 passer rating.
The task may only get more difficult against the Commanders on Thursday night for a couple of reasons.
One, Washington is coming off a game in which it racked up eight QB hits by seven different players, plus two sacks, on Giants QB Russell Wilson. And two, the Packers have some injury concerns up front.
Both right tackle Zach Tom (oblique) and left guard Aaron Banks (ankle) left Sunday's game in the second half with injuries, replaced by newcomer Darian Kinnard and 2024 first-round pick/versatile sub Jordan Morgan, respectively. Rookie Anthony Belton also came in at right tackle for the final series.
The starters' status for Thursday is highly uncertain, especially on a short week (Head Coach Matt LaFleur said both veterans will be given up until game time to see if they can play). But pass protection like last Sunday is obviously a standard the Packers will strive to maintain.
"It's one of those things where you've just got to adjust on the fly," Love said of the potential for moving parts in front of him. "We've got to get those guys as many reps in these walkthroughs and things like that – hearing the calls, knowing the calls.
"But these guys are all pros. I've got confidence in them that they'll be able to go out there and do their job and execute at a high level. It's just a matter of getting your mind ready for whatever may happen."
It won't just be on the offensive line, as the superb pass pro was a collective effort against Detroit. Green Bay's tight ends chipped on the edges – particularly against Lions star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson – while running backs Josh Jacobs and Chris Brooks put on a clinic picking up blitzes.
The Lions attacked with linebackers from the second level on several occasions, but they never really threatened Love thanks to Jacobs and Brooks stepping up to take them on. LaFleur called their effort and execution the best he's seen in that duty during his tenure. Those blocks were a big reason the offense was able to convert four straight third downs to open the game, with Love completing passes downfield on all four plays.
"We made a big point about it and just how good of a job they did," Love said, referring to the film clips being shown in the meeting room. "Those are the plays right there that allow us to keep staying on the field and getting points. That was a big test."
When the Packers' offensive line had to turn to the bench, there wasn't a drop-off, though Green Bay wasn't throwing the ball as much by then with a multi-score lead.
Kinnard certainly showed his run-blocking prowess right away, helping Jacobs pound out 29 yards on five carries on a fourth-quarter touchdown drive that Jacobs himself finished with a 3-yard score.
Acquired just 15 days ago from Philadelphia for a future sixth-round draft pick, Kinnard has been learning the playbook as fast as he can, staying late every night with assistant O-line coach Eddie Gordon.
He simply made it a point to be prepared for anything that might happen, and sure enough it did.
"I was as ready as I could be," said Kinnard, who spent two years with Kansas City before going to Philadelphia last year. "I feel like I stepped up when I needed to."
And the feedback on his 15-snap, fill-in performance?
"The feedback was five hours to celebrate," he said. "I didn't really even get to go over the film because we're getting ready for Washington."
Such is life in the NFL, as Kinnard could be playing for the second time in five days on a team he just joined two weeks ago.
But he's well aware of how well protected Love was in the opener, and if called upon, he'll do his best to blend in with his new teammates.
"Guys in the O-line room take a lot of pride in what they do and how they do it," Kinnard said. "They came out physical and that was how they wanted to play. They wanted to be tough and show that, and that's what they did."
