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It is pointless, of course, to talk about the impossible. Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love has avoided doing so as much as possible, brushing off questions about the effects of health on the team, which would provide an easy excuse for some of the Packers’ ups and downs. But Love did finally address the one issue that was obviously hurting the team in the Monday night loss to the Giants—the Christian Watson injury.
Watson sat out with an injured hamstring, the fourth game he has missed this year with the injury—three to start the season and now, one after re-injuring it. Watson’s injury came near the end of the Week 13 win over Kansas City, just as he was establishing himself as the Packers’ No. 1 option with his two best games of the season.
“I think any time you don’t have your best guys out there, it is tough,” Love said when asked about the Christian Watson injury. “But we have had so many reps with other guys in our offense that, I’m comfortable, those guys are comfortable. But like you said, it is really that next man up mentality. But obviously, it’s tough. You always want to have your best guys out there.
“But things happen. It’s football. Injuries happen. You just have to move on, not make excuses about anything. Obviously, get as comfortable as you can throughout the week, repetitions, things like that. Make sure we’re going out there to perform our best.”
Packers Concerns Go Beyond Christian Watson Injury
Indeed, the Packers and Jordan Love have concerns that go beyond the Christian Watson injury. They’re still hoping to get back running back Aaron Jones, who is dealing with a knee injury and was a gameday decision on Monday.
Wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks, the team’s best deep threat with Watson out, missed practice because of an ankle injury. Jayden Reed is not in the concussion protocol, but he is dealing with an ankle injury. He was limited in practice on Wednesday.
After practice, though, Reed said, “I’m fine. We just did jog-through and everything today and I’m good to go.”
Jordan Love Praises Samori Toure
One player who has benefitted from the Christian Watson injury has been second-year man Samori Toure, who had two catches for 22 yards against the Giants. Toure played 87 snaps in the three games Watson missed to start the season, then played 17 snaps over the next eight weeks, and was inactive for four of those games.
But the return of the Christian Watson injury had Toure back on the field in Week 14 for 18 snaps, and he nearly had a touchdown. Jordan Love led him a bit too much, though, and he was out of bounds.
“That’s the toughest position to be in,” Love said of Toure. “Throughout the week, you’ve got to stay locked in, understanding your job. Obviously, it is ne of those gametime decisions, but you want to be out there and be active or not. I think Samori has handled it like a pro. He’s been doing a good job about that. Staying locked in throughout the week, understanding he might get out there and he might not.
“I think he did a good job Monday when he had the opportunity, he made some big-time plays.”
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