Packers become just fifth team in 55 years to pull off this rare feat: Why their 2-0 start is so impressive

The Green Bay Packers might be the best team in the NFL. Sure, we're only two weeks into the season, and yes, you could certainly argue it might be too early to make a statement like that, but the Packers are off to a historically good start, which could be a sign of things to come. 

The Packers are 2-0, and the impressive part is how they've done it: They destroyed the Detroit Lions, 27-13, in Week 1 and then followed that up five days later by beating up on the Washington Commanders in a 27-18 win on Thursday night. 

With those two wins, the Packers became just the fifth team since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 to open their season with two straight victories over teams who each won at least 12 games in the previous season. (The Lions went 15-2 last year while the Commanders finished 12-5.)

Here's a quick look at the previous teams to pull off that feat, along with their final record: 

1982 Steelers (6-3 -- strike-shortened season)
2001 Dolphins (11-5)
2002 Broncos (9-7)
2022 Bills (13-3)

Every team on the list finished over .500, and that seems to be where the Packers are headed. As a matter of fact, based on their schedule, it won't be surprising at all if Green Bay tops Buffalo's win total from 2022. 

Overreactions from Packers win over Commanders: Green Bay defense best in NFC? Washington misses playoffs?

Jeff Kerr

The Packers' domination is even more impressive because of who it has come against. The Lions were the highest scoring team in the NFL last year (33.2 points per game), while the Commanders were the fifth-highest scoring team (28.5 points per game) -- and the Packers held those two teams to an average of 15.5 points per game. 

The Commanders put up 18 points, which was tied for the lowest total of Jayden Daniels' career. As for the Lions, their 13 points was their lowest scoring output since Week 7 of the 2023 season. The most impressive thing is that the Lions and Commanders both scored in garbage time, so the Packers' defensive performance has been even more eye-opening than the numbers suggest. The Commanders scored just three points in the first three quarters before tacking on 15 points in the fourth quarter. The Lions were down, 27-6, in the fourth quarter before scoring their first and only touchdown with under a minute left to play in the game. 

With Micah Parsons on the roster, this defense has gone from good to great. 

The Packers also held both the Commanders and Lions under 250 yards of offense. Including the playoffs, the Commanders were only held under that total one time in 20 games last season. As for the Lions, they were only held under that total one time in 18 games. There wasn't a single game last season where either team was held under 250 yards AND under 20 points in the same game, but the Packers did that to both clubs.

After going 0-6 last season against teams that won 11 games or more, the Packers probably feel even better about their hot start. For the Packers, this is the first time in 18 years that they've started a season 2-0 by beating two teams who both made the playoffs in the previous year. The last time it happened came in 2007 with Brett Favre, who led Green Bay to a 13-3 record and an NFC title game appearance. 

Based on how things have gone so far this year, an NFC title game appearance definitely isn't out of the question for a Super Bowl-contending Packers team that has looked dominant through two games.