Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson had a breakout game last Sunday in Chicago. The former North Dakota State star made four catches for a career-high 150 yards. All of those catches went for sizable gains and his big plays directly led to Packers scores. The Packers must get Christian Watson more touches down the stretch to help their offense be more dangerous and successful.

Packers Must Get Christian Watson More Touches: His Career So Far

Watson has had an interesting NFL career since the Packers traded up to select him with the first pick in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. They felt his unique combination of size and speed would make him a dangerous weapon and a potential successor to the recently traded Davante Adams.

As a rookie, Watson had a slow start to the season after dropping a long pass on his first snap from scrimmage. It took a while for him to earn the trust of Aaron Rodgers and the coaching staff after that. In the second half, he had some outstanding performances, especially a three-touchdown game against the Cowboys that showcased his ability to make big plays. He finished his rookie campaign with 41 catches for 611 yards and seven touchdowns.

In 2023, hamstring issues limited Watson to just nine games and he was on a play count on several of them. He caught just 28 passes for 422 yards and five scores. Still, the Packers offense worked best when Watson was healthy and productive.

After the season, the Packers sent Watson to a hamstring specialist in Madison to try to prevent a recurrence of the issues that plagued him the previous year.

The First Half of 2024

Watson got off to a slow start this season. He missed one game due to an ankle injury due to his leg being caught under him while he was being tackled. The Packers were also missing starting quarterback Jordan Love for two full games and part of another due to assorted injuries. That meant fewer passing attempts and a greater emphasis on the running game.

Before this past game against the Bears, Watson had just 16 catches for 233 yards and two touchdowns. He was not getting many passes thrown his way. Watson never had more than four catches or 68 yards in any one game.

But that changed against Chicago. His four catches came on four targets. The shortest of the four went for 17 yards. In the third quarter, he added a 25-yard pass that set up a touchdown run by Josh Jacobs. Early in the fourth quarter, Love found Watson for a 48-yard gain. Then, on the final drive, Watson made a diving, 60-yard catch that set up the winning touchdown.

Packers Must Get Christian Watson More Touches: The Need for More Touches

Watson’s combination of size and speed makes him a unique weapon for the Green Bay offense. Defenses have to account for him when he’s on the field. That means even when he isn’t getting the ball on a given play, he can help free up teammates by drawing coverage away from them.

Making an Impression

Watson impressed his quarterback by his performance at Soldier Field, particularly his 60-yard catch and run on the final drive. “Phenomenal play, phenomenal catch by Christian, and then just obviously the awareness to get up, not being touched and to go put together a huge run,” Love said. “I think Christian made some big-time plays in the game, had a couple big-time catches, and I’m proud of the way he balled out.” Then he added, “Obviously, a focus for us coming into this week was to try to keep getting him the ball, getting him some touches,” Love said.

Watson’s head coach was also pleased by what Watson accomplished last week. “Can’t say enough about him,” head coach Matt LaFleur said after the game. “Obviously, not everything has gone his way here, but he is a resilient dude. He shows up to work every day, right mentality, great work ethic. I love the guy. I love being around him.”

The way the Packers offense is structured, Watson won’t be the focal point of the offense each week. The team tends to rotate which player gets the most touches based on the game plan, matchups and how the receivers are playing that game.

But getting him more involved can lead to more big plays both for Watson and for his teammates. The Packers will need that if they hope to finish the season strong and to make a long playoff run.

 

 

 

 

 

Follow Gil Martin on Twitter @GilPackers

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