Christian Watson has given the Green Bay Packers more than a reliable deep threat through five games.
He has put together a start with a statistical combination the NFL last saw from Jerry Rice four decades ago.
Watson has 26 receptions for 474 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 18.2 yards per catch. Per Packers.com’s Wes Hodkiewicz, he is the first NFL player since Rice in 1986 to record at least 25 catches, six receiving touchdowns and an average of at least 18 yards per reception through his team’s first five games.
The milestone captures the balance in Watson’s action. He’s getting enough targets to influence entire games while maintaining the explosive gains that make defenses account for him downfield.
His latest performance helped Green Bay beat the Chicago Bears 31-7 on Oct. 11, improving to 3-2 before a Sunday night meeting with the Dallas Cowboys.
Watson Gives Packers a Historic Combination
Watson’s afternoon against Chicago surfaced how a single receiver showing can change a game.
He caught touchdown passes of 42 and 53 yards, finishing with six receptions for 143 yards. As the Packers’ game recap detailed, he also added a 31-yard reception during an afternoon filled with gains downfield.
Prior to his second touchdown, Green Bay had a 43-yard scoring pass to J. Michael Sturdivant erased by an offensive pass interference penalty. Instead of retreating after the setback, coach Matt LaFleur called another deep throw. Watson tracked the ball into the end zone for a 53-yard touchdown that extended the lead to 20-7.
That sequence was a classic illustration of what the receiver gives his quarterback. Even after a penalty leaves the offense in a tricky scenario, Watson’s speed keeps a touchdown within reach.
Jordan Love finished 25 of 31 for 367 yards and a 137.5 passer rating, his best in a regular-season game.
The Packers hadn’t scored more than 22 points in any game this season before last week’s breakout, via the team’s postgame analysis. Watson helped turn that high point total in something Green Bay cleared easily.
Packers’ Passing Attack Takes on Greater Responsibility
Watson’s place in the offense has become important following the season-ending neck injury to Jayden Reed.
As The Associated Press reported, Watson and Matthew Golden have helped initiate a passing attack operating without a consistent running game. Golden added six receptions for 123 yards against Chicago.
Together, the two receivers accounted for 266 of Love’s 367 passing yards. Their ability to win downfield makes generating points a possibility in the wake of the ground game’s struggles.
Love also joined Aaron Rodgers as the only quarterbacks in franchise history to finish a game with at least 350 passing yards, multiple touchdown passes, no interceptions and a completion percentage of at least 80%, the AP noted.
“Those are two guys that are dominant factors,” Love said of his receivers.
There’s work ahead anyways. The Packers’ running backs combined for 64 yards on 22 carries against Chicago, via the team’s postgame analysis. Explosive completions helped overcome that imbalance, but sustaining drives would become simpler with more true rushing hits.
Watson, meanwhile, has had success since returning from his torn ACL last October. Hodkiewicz reported that he has 64 catches for 1,121 yards and 13 touchdowns across 16 games, including the playoffs, since that return.
“I’ve got to keep on climbing,” Watson said.
Packers’ Christian Watson Matches Jerry Rice in Feat Ahead of Cowboys Game