Tag: christian watson

Packers WR Christian Watson to search for answers to hamstring problem this offseason

Christian Watson knows he must figure out the “root” of his hamstring problems and improve his availability for the Packers in 2024.

Every player goes into an offseason wanting to get better, but for Green Bay Packers receiver Christian Watson, the path to improving is centered on figuring out how to avoid soft-tissue injuries — especially in his hamstring — and stay on the field in 2024.

Watson missed three games to start the season with a hamstring injury suffered before Week 1 and then five more games to end the regular season after re-injuring the same hamstring on a play against the Kansas City Chiefs on Dec. 3. As a rookie, a hamstring injury plagued him for over a month and caused him to miss three games.

“I gotta find out what the root of it is. That’s the start and then I’ll be able to formulate a plan around that,” Watson said during Monday’s final locker room availability. “But if I can find out what kind of things can possibly be leading to it, make sure I’m doing the right things in the offseason, doing the right things during OTAs, into training camp, just find ways to make sure I’m doing everything I can to be conscious of it. That’s my number one plan.”

Coach Matt LaFleur said Watson has been working with head athletic trainer Bryan “Flea” Engel to create a plan and execute it this offseason. The goal is for Watson to remain explosive but be more available for the Packers in 2024 and beyond.

“We have a plan, we have a plan in place,” LaFleur said Monday. “I know Flea has been diligent working on that, in terms of going to different places to do all the scans and whatever we need to do. Certainly, Christian is going to be a big part of that process. That’s something we need to figure out. He is an impact player. You see his value when he’s going at full strength, his ability to make plays, explosive plays. We’re better when he’s on the grass.”

Watson scored nine total touchdowns and was a dominant player down the stretch as a rookie. He found the end zone five more times across nine games in 2023, including a three-game stretch before his second injury in which he scored four times.

Getting over the hamstring injuries could allow Watson to become a consistently dominant player for the Packers in 2024. His size and speed help make him a force, both down the field and on manufactured touches. With a full season of availability, Watson could transform into a legitimate No. 1 receiver next season.

“It’s huge. I’m trying to stay in the right spot mentally,” Watson said. “I don’t want to let it consume my life, but everyone says your availability is your best ability, so I’ve got to find a way to stay out there. I think I’m my best when I’m able to find my rhythm, find my groove and continue to build on it. So being out, being back, being out, being back, I don’t think it’s right for anybody, but I definitely know it’s not right for me to play my best ball. I just gotta find a way to be out there and stay out there.”

Watson isn’t yet sure if it’s a strength or flexibility issue. As a lean, explosive, long-striding athlete, he’s hoping to discover the right ways to lessen the stress on the hamstring.

“I don’t necessarily know if it’s a strength thing anywhere. I could be flexibility. I know for a fact that my hamstrings are strong. I know I’m a strong guy, I’m a lean guy. I’ve just got to find ways to take pressure off one spot and let it all work together. That’s what I’m going to figure out.”

Quotes obtained by Packers Wire contributor Paul Bretl were used in this post.

Win or lose, the Packers’ young guns are going out in a blaze of glory

Don’t confuse the Packers’ youth for weakness. The Green Bay Packers are a confident team that is ready for any obstacle.

Minnesota Vikings Hall of Fame defensive tackle John Randle had one of the most quotable NFL Films sound bites of all time when he yelled, “Regulators, mount up!” quoting Emilio Estevez’s Billy the Kid.

Funny enough, though, it is the hated Green Bay Packers who are the NFL’s young guns, and their sharp-shooting quarterback has them within one more shootout of getting to the NFC Championship Game.

With an average of 25.7 years of age, the Packers have the youngest roster in the NFL, but that hasn’t fazed them in the slightest. Since Week 12, their offense is second in the league in EPA per play, trailing only the San Francisco 49ers. They are also third in success rate in that time frame, and their young leader has emerged as one of the best gunslingers in the NFL.

In the final seven weeks of the season, Jordan Love was second in the NFL in EPA per dropback, and he led the NFL in CPOE. Love also finished sixth in the NFL in DYAR and DVOA (min. 200 attempts). The Utah State product has been one of the best deep ball passers this year as well, finishing fifth in deep-ball completions and third in yards off deep balls.

Love’s emergence as one of the most complete passers in the game has been the silver bullet in the revolver for the Packers’ group of youthful playmakers. Jayden Reed caught 64 passes and eight touchdowns. Romeo Doubs matched Reed’s eight touchdown catches. Dontayvion Wicks had north of 500 yards. Both Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave became vital parts of the intermediate passing game as well, averaging over 10 yards per catch apiece. And don’t forget about Christian Watson, who missed time with injury but averaged 15 yards per reception in the nine regular-season games he played. Every one of the Packers’ top six receivers is a rookie or in his second season — that is unheard of in terms of a team that just won a playoff game. This isn’t a group that has shaky hands when it comes time to pull the trigger; this is a motley crew of young, confident desperados who just kicked in the doors of the corral, took what they wanted and knew that there was nothing their opponents could do about it.

Now the Packers are reaching the climax of their cinematic season. They face an absolute wagon of a 49ers team that will look to exploit their 27th-ranked defense in terms of DVOA. The Packers defense hasn’t been good when it comes to early-down pass defense, and the 49ers lead the NFL in empty formations on first down, doing so 6 percent of the time. Green Bay’s defense was 26th in yards allowed per drive; the 49ers’ offense led the NFL in yards per drive.

San Francisco will look to kill the Packers with a thousand cuts. Green Bay’s defense played phenomenally against Dallas in the wild-card round, but there is a large difference between playing a Mike McCarthy offense and a Kyle Shanahan offense. The 49ers painted those end zones red, they’re going to be well rested, and they will be out to make an example of Brown County Regulators.

Metaphorically, the Packers are already pinned down and surrounded, ready to make their final stand with all odds against them. That said, this team has shown all season that they aren’t afraid of the moment. They aren’t afraid of the 49ers riding in on their white steeds ready to hold down their fort. Will they come out victorious? No one seems to like their odds. But win or lose, this iteration of the Green Bay Packers, and the young guns who lead them, are going down swinging, guns up in a blaze of glory.

CB Jaire Alexander, WR Christian Watson both ACTIVE for Packers vs. Cowboys

The Packers will have Jaire Alexander vs. the Cowboys, and Christian Watson is returning from a hamstring injury. More on the inactives for Sunday.

The Green Bay Packers won’t have running back A.J. Dillon, but cornerback Jaire Alexander and receiver Christian Watson are both active for Sunday’s NFC Wild Card Round showdown with the Dallas Cowboys.

Alexander and Watson were both questionable to play. Alexander will play through an ankle injury suffered midweek, while Watson is returning after missing five games with a hamstring injury.

Both worked out pre-game and got the clearance to play against the Cowboys.

Dillon injured his neck — suffering a stinger — during the Packers’ win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 17 and will miss his second straight game.

Alexander will be vital to stopping the Cowboys’ top ranked scoring offense. Watson, who caught touchdown passes in three straight games before his injury, could provide a spark on the turf in Dallas, even in a limited role.

The Packers have five healthy scratches on the inactive list. Both receiver Malik Heath and cornerback David Long Jr. are inactive, so the Packers must have some level of confidence in Watson and Alexander making it through Sunday’s game.

The Packers and Cowboys are scheduled for a 3:40 p.m. kickoff from AT&T Stadium.

Packers inactives

RB A.J. Dillon
WR Malik Heath
CB David Long Jr.
S Benny Sapp III
OLB Brenton Cox Jr.
OT Caleb Jones

Cowboys inactives

QB Trey Lance
CB Eric Scott
OT Asim Richards
OT Matt Waletzko
WR Jalen Brooks
LB Tyrus Wheat
DL Viliami Fehoko Jr.

‘Some optimism’ Packers will get back WR Christian Watson vs. Cowboys

If a pre-game workout goes well, the Packers could return WR Christian Watson to the lineup for Sunday’s playoff game against the Cowboys.

He’ll need to get through a pre-game workout, but Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson could make his long-awaited return from injury on Sunday afternoon against the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Wild Card Round.

Watson has missed five straight games with a hamstring injury, but there is “some optimism” that he can play Sunday, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The Packers will put him through a workout to determine if the hamstring is strong enough for Watson to go against the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.

Watson practiced in a limited capacity all three days this week and was listed as questionable.

“We’ll see on Christian. A lot of it is going to be on how he feels, and where we’re at with him,” coach Matt LaFleur said Friday.

Watson returned to practice last week but sat out the Packers’ playoff-clinching win over the Chicago Bears after his hamstring didn’t respond well enough to two days of practice. This week, Watson got through two days and then practiced again Friday, and LaFleur confirmed his second-year receiver was further along in his injury recovery.

Inactives will be announced around 1:55 p.m. CT on Sunday. Kickoff is at 3:25 p.m.

The Packers are otherwise good to go at receiver. Neither Romeo Doubs nor Jayden Reed has a playing status designation for Sunday and will play vs. the Cowboys. Dontayvion Wicks, Bo Melton and Malik Heath are also available at the position.

Could Watson provide a spark in a big game?

Watson had a touchdown catch in three straight games before suffering his latest hamstring injury, including a pair of scores in an upset win over the Kansas City Chiefs, and he caught three touchdown passes in a breakout performance against the Cowboys last season at Lambeau Field.

In his last game on turf, Watson caught a 53-yard pass to open the game and a big touchdown pass in the fourth quarter of a win over the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.

Cowboys-Packers final wild-card injury report: Alexander missing, Gilmore good

The final injury report for Sunday’s wild-card game shows each team’s status and what’s been ailing them. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys ended their regular season with a serious question about their starting cornerback. The Green Bay Packers ended theirs with no such concerns. But as the week of practice leading up to Sunday’s wild-card matchup has concluded, the two teams have reversed positions.

Friday’s practice came with an escalated workout for Stephon Gilmore, who dislocated his shoulder in the Week 18 win in Washington. Meanwhile Jaire Alexander twisted his ankle in practice on Wednesday and hasn’t seen the football field since. Gilmore wasn’t even given a game designation of questionable, that’s how well he’s recovered.

The Cowboys have six players who’ve been monitored throughout the week, with the latest addition being Cooper Rush. It had appeared the club had kicked the illness bug, but Rush missed Friday’s practice. Hopefully no one else comes down with the cold over the next 48 hours.

Here’s a look at the full slate of injured players and how their weeks went.

Packers say WR Christian Watson and CB Jaire Alexander are game-time decisions for wildcard vs. Cowboys

The Packers are listing CB Jaire Alexander and WR Christian Watson as questionable to play for Sunday’s NFC Wild Card Round showdown with the Cowboys.

The Green Bay Packers are listing running back A.J. Dillon as doubtful and receiver Christian Watson and cornerback Jaire Alexander as questionable to play for Sunday’s NFC Wild Card Round showdown against the Dallas Cowboys.

Dillon didn’t play in the regular season finale or practice this week while dealing with a stinger in his neck. The Packers haven’t had a player listed as doubtful play in a game since 2019, so Dillon is unlikely to be available behind Aaron Jones in Dallas.

The real mysteries will be with Watson and Alexander.

Watson has missed five straight games with a hamstring injury. While Matt LaFleur admitted some gamesmanship in his playing status last week, the Packers coach said Watson — who practiced all three days this week — is further along than last week and truly questionable to play Sunday.

“We’ll see on Christian. A lot of it is going to be on how he feels, and where we’re at with him,” LaFleur said.

Alexander suffered a “freak” injury when he rolled his ankle during a jog-through practice on Wednesday. He didn’t practice Thursday or Friday and will be a game-time decision come Sunday.

“We’re just trying to give him up to game time to figure it out. He will legitimately be a game-time decision,” LaFleur said.

The Packers would likely start Carrington Valentine and Corey Ballentine at cornerback against the NFL’s No. 1 scoring offense if Alexander can’t play.

Inactives are announced 90 minutes before kickoff, so the statuses of Watson and Alexander might not be known until roughly 1:55 p.m. CT on Sunday.

The other 16 players on the Packers’ 19-player injury report do not have playing status designations and are expected to play Sunday against the Cowboys.

Packers unsure if WR Christian Watson will be available vs. Cowboys

The Packers admitted they knew Christian Watson was unlikely to play Sunday, and they aren’t sure if he’ll be back for the playoff opener against the Cowboys.

Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur admitted he knew Christian Watson likely wasn’t going to play on Sunday as early as Friday, and he’s currently unsure if the Packers will get back Watson for this Sunday’s playoff showdown with the Dallas Cowboys.

Watson, who has now missed five straight games with a hamstring injury, practiced in a limited capacity on Wednesday and Thursday and appeared trending toward playing on Sunday vs. the Chicago Bears, but the Packers held him out of practice Friday and made him inactive for the season finale.

“He just wasn’t ready to play. I know it’s been extremely frustrating for him. I had a pretty good indication that it was probably trending that way, a little gamesmanship on my part. Sorry to lie to everybody,” LaFleur said post-game Sunday.

When asked Friday, LaFleur said the Packers were resting Watson to give him the best chance to play, even though the team likely knew he probably wasn’t going to play after two days of limited practice.

In terms of Sunday, LaFleur left the door open to Watson returning against the Cowboys but said it’s going to come down to how the player feels over the course of the week.

“It’s one of those things, I know it’s really frustrating. We’ll see where he’s at this week. I definitely wouldn’t rule him out, but I really don’t know. A lot of it comes down to the ‘feel’ of it for him. That’s certainly something we’re going to have to tackle this offseason.”

Watson injured his hamstring during the Packers’ win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Dec. 3. It marked the second hamstring injury for Watson this season, and he ended up missing eight total games due to hamstring issues (three to start the season, five to end the season) in 2023.

Without Watson on Sunday, Packers quarterback Jordan Love completed 27 of 32 passes for 316 yards and two touchdown passes. He connected 15 times on 18 attempts to Jayden Reed, Bo Melton and Dontayvion Wicks, creating 235 passing yards and both scores.

As a rookie in 2022, Watson caught three touchdown passes and ignited an incredible stretch of production during the Packers’ overtime win over the Cowboys at Lambeau Field.

Watson finished the 2023 regular season catching 28 passes for 422 yards and five touchdowns. He had touchdown catches in three straight games against the Los Angeles Chargers, Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs before going down with an injury.

The Packers play the Cowboys at 3:30 p.m. CT on Sunday. Like a typical week, the team will provide the first injury report of the wildcard round on Wednesday, with a final injury report arriving Friday.

Jordan Love might lead the Packers to the promised land sooner than you think

Packers quarterback Jordan Love has been as good as any QB in the second half of the season. Here’s one play that proves it.

If the Green Bay Packers beat the Chicago Bears on Sunday, quarterback Jordan Love will have done something that Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, his predecessors at his position, were unable to do — lead his team to the postseason in his first full year as a starter. The 1992 Packers just missed the boat at 9-7, and the 2008 Packers were 6-10. The 2023 Packers, who currently stand at 8-8, are on the precipice, and they’re on the precipice with a young group of receivers who are still figuring it out for the most part.

One thing we know — in the second half of the 2023 season, Love has been as good as any quarterback in the league. Since Week 9, Love has completed 210 of 313 passes (67.1%) for 2,350 yards (7.5 YPA), 19 touchdowns, three interceptions, and a passer rating of 105.5. Love has also completed 22 of 44 passes of 20 or more air yards for 665 yards, seven touchdowns, one interceptions, and a passer rating of 125.9. So, he’s not only one of the league’s best passers overall; he’s also one of the best aggressive passers, and that can take you a long way if you get into the tournament. 

Let’s get into one play in the Packers’ 33-10 win over the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday night. Love completed 24 of 33 passes for 256 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 125.3, and he did that against a Vikings defense under Brian Flores who will throw the entire kitchen at you schematically — they just start with the sink, and move on from there. Love’s first touchdown pass, a 33-yarder to rookie receiver Jayden Reed, showed how well Love can deal in the face of just about anything right now.

With 5:15 left in the first quarter, the Packers went four verts on second-and-10 from the Minnesota 33-yard line. Minnesota showed a single-high safety look pre-snap,  but as the Vikings have played the NFL’s highest rates of Cover-0 (11.5%) and Cover-2 (27.5%), Love probably had a pretty good feeling that the middle of the field would be open eventually. It was, but as is often the case with Flores’ defenses, it was in ways you might not expect. The Vikings went with inverted Cover-2 to the boundary with cornerback Mekhi Blackmon dropping to two-deep, and linebacker Jordan Hicks as the middle hole defender.

Love also had to deal with pressure here, as defensive tackle Harrison Phillips pushed center Josh Myers into the pocket. Love made a little hop out of the pressure, righted his body, and made the throw with ideal accuracy and velocity.

“Yeah, they kind of disguised it, went to a cover-two-ish coverage and we had four verts on, and I knew I was going to have J-Reed right there,” Love said after the game. “Kind of didn’t see him at first where he was at, and then he came into my vision, so just let it out there, let him go get it. It was an awesome play.”

Postgame, head coach Matt LaFleur couldn’t wait to talk about his quarterback.

“I can’t say enough great things about him. Just his ability to hang in there versus some tough looks, drifting away from pressure, putting the ball in play, allowing his guys to go make plays. I think he is playing at an incredibly high level. I’m super happy for him because he’s put in a ton of work to get to this point, and I really think the sky’s the limit for him. I think he’s just showing a glimpse of what he can ultimately be, and he’s been more consistent as the season has progressed with a young group around him.”

In this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” the guys get into how much Love has progressed as a passer this season.

You can watch this week’s “Xs and Os” right here:

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You can also listen and subscribe to the “Xs and Os” podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.

Packers WR Christian Watson returns to practice ahead of clash with Bears

Packers WR Christian Watson returned to practice on Wednesday for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury on Dec. 3.

The Green Bay Packers could be getting back a premium playmaker ahead of Sunday’s regular season-ending clash with the Chicago Bears.

Receiver Christian Watson, who has missed the last four games with a hamstring injury, returned to practice on Wednesday, the first official day of prep for the Bears.

Coach Matt LaFleur said Watson was limited during what was mostly a jog-through practice on Wednesday. The second-year receiver needs to get through the week before the Packers commit to him playing against the Bears.

“I know he’s eager to be out there,” LaFleur said.

Watson injured his hamstring against the Kansas City Chiefs on Dec. 3. He missed games against the New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers and Minnesota Vikings.

Despite playing in just nine games, Watson ranks fourth on the team in receiving yards (422) and third in receiving touchdowns (5). He had touchdowns in three consecutive games — including two against the Chiefs — when he went down with the hamstring injury.

LaFleur said Watson’s return would provide a “spark” on offense against the Bears.

“Even if it’s on a limited basis, we’ll all seen his playmaking ability and intelligence out of the field and move him around him wherever we may need him,” LaFleur said.

The Packers also had rookies Jayden Reed, who left Sunday night’s win over the Vikings with a chest injury, and Dontayvion Wicks, who missed the game with his own chest injury, available to practice on Wednesday. Tight end Luke Musgrave was also on the field, suggesting the Packers could have a full complement of weapons on the field against the Bears for the first time in weeks.

The Packers have a win-and-in scenario against the Bears on Sunday. With a win, the Packers will clinch a playoff spot and could be seeded as high as No. 6 in the NFC.

Watson scored a pair of touchdowns and had 94 total yards in the Packers’ Dec. 4 win over the Bears at Soldier Field last season. He finished his rookie season with five catches for 104 yards in the finale against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field.

Panthers Week 16 inactives: CJ Henderson a healthy scratch vs. Packers

The Panthers have scratched six players ahead of their Week 16 matchup against the Packers, including CB CJ Henderson.

All of this afternoon’s scratches are healthy ones for the Carolina Panthers.

Headlining the list of inactives ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the Green Bay Packers is cornerback CJ Henderson, who played zero defensive snaps in Week 14 and six in Week 15. Since returning from his concussion, the soon-to-be free agent has accounted for just 28 of a possible 166 defensive snaps.

Joining Henderson on the sideline will be wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr., who has also been phased out of late. The former second-round pick has not played since Carolina’s Week 10 loss to the Chicago Bears.

Here’s the full list of inactives for the Panthers:

  • CB CJ Henderson
  • OT Ricky Lee
  • OLB Eku Leota
  • WR Terrace Marshall Jr.
  • WR Mike Strachan
  • DL Chris Wormley

The Packers, however, are not as healthy as the home team. Their naughty list includes a handful of key names:

  • LB De’Vondre Campbell
  • LB Brenton Cox Jr.
  • OT Caleb Jones
  • WR Jayden Reed
  • CB Robert Rochell
  • S Darnell Savage
  • WR Christian Watson

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