Packers' Christian Watson flashes No. 1 receiver promise in breakout vs. Bears

CHICAGO — The biggest talking point of the preseason in Green Bay centered on the Packers’ lack of a true No. 1 wide receiver.

It could’ve been any of four players on a given day, those both inside and outside the building thought: Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed or Dontayvion Wicks.

Perhaps the one who had showcased the truest No. 1 potential in the past was Watson, but Reed separated himself through the first nine games. The 2023 second-round pick doesn’t have the stature of a prototypical No. 1, but he had the production. Through the season’s first 10 weeks, Reed ranked 10th in the NFL in receiving yards (620) and eighth in yards per catch (17.2). Over that stretch, he led the Packers in targets by two, receptions by six and receiving yards by 208 while adding three touchdown catches, 110 rushing yards on 11 carries and a rushing touchdown.

Watson, however, reminded everyone not to forget about him in Sunday’s 20-19 win over the Chicago Bears. With his size, speed and contested catch ability, how can you? Watson hauled in four balls for a career-high (by 40 yards) 150 yards in Chicago after catching just 16 passes for 233 yards and two touchdowns in the first nine games while getting only 27 targets, 20 fewer than Reed’s team-high 47.

“It’s been a little tough just in terms of me and my individual goals,” Watson said after his best game of the season. “But I mean, as cliche as it sounds, I’m always going to put the team goals first. We played some good football and some not-so-good football at times, but we’re right where we want to be at as a team, so I’m just going to continue to do my part, and if it’s opportunities like today, I’m going try my best to make those plays. If it’s opportunities elsewhere, in the run game or whatnot, I’m going to make those plays, too.”

Watson’s deep connection with quarterback Jordan Love hasn’t always been there, dating to last season. In Week 9 against the Detroit Lions, for example, Watson misjudged a bomb down the left sideline that fell well ahead of him after he came back on it. Watson’s done his part elsewhere even when he hasn’t been featured prominently, like when he shielded off safety Darnell Savage Jr. on Josh Jacobs’ 38-yard touchdown run against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 8. Against the Bears, Watson didn’t have to do things like that to leave his mark, and his deep connection with Love was as efficient as can be with four completions of 17, 25, 48 and 60 yards on four targets.

Christian Watson on his connection with Jordan Love: “I feel like it’s been there. It was just able to be put on display a little bit more today.” pic.twitter.com/xK2gy5Z2oR

— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) November 17, 2024

Watson ran a deep stop route on third-and-11 from the Packers’ 23 in the second quarter, and Love found him late in the play for 17 yards in between cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon. Midway through the third quarter with the Packers at Chicago’s 32-yard line trailing 13-7, Watson ran a slot fade and was wide open for 25 yards (Jacobs ran for a 7-yard touchdown on the next play).

Watson ran a post route from the left slot on first-and-10 from Green Bay’s 44-yard line trailing 19-14 early in the fourth quarter. Love had tight end Tucker Kraft wide open underneath Watson but heaved one deep while running to his right to Watson, who made a spectacular catch in between Gordon and safety Elijah Hicks for 48 yards. Remember when his contested catch ability was a question last season?

“When I started moving, the safety was kind of playing both Christian and Tucker, and I saw Christian put his hand up that he was going deep and I thought he was beyond the safety, and I think the safety did a good job as I was throwing of turning his hips and taking Christian,” Love said. “But anytime the ball’s in the air, you love it when a receiver can go up and make that play and make you right. So that was a big-time play by Christian and just to go up there and have that confidence to go make that play, it’s his ball or nobody’s ball and it was a big-time play in the game.”

Watson’s most important catch of the day came on second-and-6 with less than four minutes remaining in the game, the ball on Green Bay’s 26 and the Packers still trailing 19-14. Johnson jammed Watson at the line of scrimmage before he ran a crosser to the left. Johnson fell around the Packers’ 41-yard line after his feet got tangled with Watson’s and Watson made a diving catch at the 46, perhaps because the tangling of feet disrupted his route. With nobody around Watson when he caught the ball since Johnson had taken a tumble and then hesitated to chase the receiver, Watson got up and earned 40 yards after the catch. The Packers scored two plays later on Love’s 1-yard sneak that ended up being the game-winning score.

Watson’s 60-yard gain was ruled a catch on the field, but the Bears challenged and the call stood after refs determined he secured the ball enough with his right hand as he hit the ground. How confident was Watson that he caught it?

“I mean, 100 percent confident,” he said. “I’m always going to believe in myself, but I definitely thought I got a hand underneath it. I thought so. I just had to get them to believe so and it worked out.”

A DIVING CATCH… but Watson wasn’t done!#GBvsCHI pic.twitter.com/3uEZQWBHyT

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) November 17, 2024

Only once before Sunday had Watson caught four passes in a game this season, when he reeled in four for a meager 39 yards against the Jaguars three weeks ago. His receiving yards high this season was 68 against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 6, which came on three catches. Finally, Watson had solved his recurring hamstring issues this offseason and has remained healthy since then. But his production waned, and that came at an inopportune time with potential contract extension talks for the 2022 second-rounder coming this offseason.

Even so, Watson hasn’t let a lack of involvement in the passing game affect his practice participation, daily attitude around the building or contributions elsewhere in games.

“Can’t say enough about him,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “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.”

LaFleur isn’t the only one in Watson’s corner.

“Big-time players usually show up in big-time moments, and he was able to do that for our team and for the offense,” safety Xavier McKinney said. “We see it in practice. He’s a guy that makes plays.”

“To be able to see him be as good as he is but also as humble as he is and never complains about whether he’s getting catches or anything like that,” Jacobs said. “He just go out there and play his best, so I think it’s much respect from me because it’s easy to sink into that. So he definitely got my respect.”

“I’m proud of the way he balled out,” Love said. “A focus for us coming into this week was to try to keep getting him the ball, getting him some touches. Definitely a guy that we feel like we can keep trying to get him the ball and give him some of those opps down the field.”

Will Sunday in Chicago be a flash in the pan or the beginning of another second-half explosion a la Watson’s in 2022? The Packers would certainly welcome that, especially since Watson has earned whatever spotlight he gets because of what he’s done when it’s not on him.