Despite a recent drop and fumble, Green Bay Packers receiver Christian Watson is heating up in a big way over the last month.
Since coming out of the bye, Watson has caught 10 passes for 331 yards in four games — good an NFL-best average of 33.1 yards per catch and 18.4 yards per target.
How rare are those numbers? Watson became the first Packers player in team history and just the 22nd player in NFL history to catch at least 10 passes and average 30 or more yards per reception over a four-game span. The feat has been done only five times in the last 20 years.
Factoring in the last four games, Watson now averages 2.42 yards per route run this season — ranking first among Packers receivers and ninth among all NFL receivers overall.
Watson did drop what would have been a 49-yard touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers, and his fumble at the end of a catch on Thursday night eventually led to a field goal for the Detroit Lions, but he’s re-established himself as a big play machine for the Packers offense with the playoffs nearing.
Over the last four games, Watson has catches of 60 yards, 59 yards, 48 yards and 46 yards, plus four catches of 20 or more yards. No player has more catches of 40 or more yards since Week 11.
His 60-yard catch set up the go-ahead touchdown against the Chicago Bears. His 59-yard catch jump-started the Packers to start the second half on Thursday night. His 48-yard catch was a terrific contested catch in double coverage. His 46-yarder set up a score coming out of the half against the Miami Dolphins.
Against the Lions, Watson used his incredible speed to run past Carlton Davis on the 59-yarder. Later, he made a tremendous concentration catch on an insane throw from Jordan Love for 29 yards to get the Packers moving on the game-tying drive late in the fourth quarter.
Officials flagged Watson for offensive pass interference on what would have been the go-ahead touchdown pass to Josh Jacobs on the final drive on Thursday night, although there is a legitimate conservation to be had on whether or not the play should have been penalized. Watson was running a legitimate route and clearly attempted to avoid contact — plus the route concept wasn’t a designed pick play.
Through 13 games, Watson has only 26 catches, but he’s second in the NFL in yards per reception at 21.7. He’s also averaging 12.5 yards per target, a career high. In an offense with a lot of mouths to feed, Watson is doing his job as a big-play receiver who can create explosive plays, pull coverage over the top away from others and consistently get the job done as a blocker.
Watson isn’t perfect. His mistakes have been big ones. But to focus on the misses is to lose the value of the player overall, and Watson is starting to make a big and valuable impact on the field as the 2024 Packers approach the postseason.