Tag: christian watson

Packers’ Christian Watson has statistical profile of NFL’s next star wide receiver

The rookie season of Packers WR Christian Watson paints the picture of the NFL’s next star at the position.

Green Bay Packers rookie Christian Watson exited his first NFL season with the statistical profile of the league’s next star wide receiver.

Watson averaged 9.3 yards per target and 2.26 yards per route run during the 2022 season. Both are important statistical markers at receiver. The two paint a clear picture of how productive and efficient a wide receiver is based on targets and routes run, the two best markers of opportunity. The receiver position can’t throw itself the ball and production of receivers is based completely on opportunity.

Anything above 9.0 yards per target and 2.0 yards per route run is a fantastic number for a receiver. For context, only 22 receivers finished the 2022 season above 9.0 yards per target, and only 15 receivers finished above 2.0 yards per route run.

Elite production efficiency is even rarer for first-year receivers. Ten rookies with at least 50 targets have averaged at least 9.0 yards per target run since 2019, including Watson. But only five of the other nine averaged at least 9.0 yards per target AND at least 2.0 yards per route run.

Here are the five:

– Ja’Marr Chase (11.4 yards per target, 2.51 yards per route run)
– Justin Jefferson (11.2 yards per target, 2.66 yards per route run)
– Terry McLaurin (9.9 yards per target, 2.05 yards per route run)
– A.J. Brown (12.5 yards per target, 2.67 yards per route run)
– Deebo Samuel (9.9 yards per target, 2.04 yards per route run)

(Note: Other rookies recently hitting both markers include Cooper Kupp, Michael Thomas, Odell Beckham Jr. and Keenan Allen.)

The final eight games for Watson in 2022 were nothing if not special.

Between Weeks 10-18, Watson averaged 2.58 yards per route run, which ranked third among all NFL receivers and trailed only Davante Adams and Jerry Jeudy. He also averaged 10.1 yards per target, which ranked sixth among players with at least 40 targets. Basically, Watson was nearly Chase-Jefferson good over the final eight games of 2022.

More on his run between Weeks 10-18: Watson made nine contested catches (sixth-most) and five catches over 20 yards (ninth-most) over the final eight games, and he averaged the third-highest yards per route run and caught the most touchdowns against man coverage. He also caught 14 passes on third or fourth down, creating four touchdowns and seven first downs.

When targeting Watson in 2022, Packers quarterbacks had a passer rating of 123.3, the third-best number among all receivers. He was also one of just three receivers to catch at least seven touchdown passes on fewer than 100 total targets.

Is Watson the next star at wide receiver? The impressive stats from his rookie season strongly suggest he’s on a star path entering 2023.

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Packers rookie review: WR Christian Watson

Reviewing the rookie season of Packers receiver Christian Watson, the team’s second-round pick in the 2022 draft.

The Green Bay Packers made 11 picks during the 2022 NFL draft: six offensive players and five defensive players. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be going through and reviewing the 2022 season for all of the Packers’ rookies.

Next up: wide receiver Christian Watson, the 34th overall pick who the Packers traded up for in the second round with Minnesota, sending the Vikings picks No. 53 and 59 in return.

Rookie WR Christian Watson effective and efficient from slot for Packers

Rookie Christian Watson was one of the NFL’s most efficient receivers from the slot in 2022.

When we look back on Christian Watson’s rookie season with the Green Bay Packers, one of the first things we will remember was his big play ability and how that reshaped the offense. But in addition to that, he was also very efficient from the slot.

Watson spent about one-third of his snaps lined up inside and had 22 targets. He ended up catching 16 of them at 12.9 yards per catch with three touchdowns. Overall, he ranked 15th out of all receivers with at least 18 slot targets in yards per route run – again, showcasing his efficiency.

The bulk of Watson’s snaps should continue coming from the boundary, where his home run ability can really be maximized. Since Watson’s emergence in Week 10, both Matt LaFleur and Aaron Rodgers have mentioned how his presence has affected how opponents defend Green Bay. We’ve also seen on several occasions where his gravity is on display, as safeties are pulled towards him to protect against the big play, which then opens up opportunities for other pass catchers.

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With that said, this versatility to line up in the slot is important as well. For one, the LaFleur offense very much emphasizes movement, whether that be different alignments or pre-snap motion. More so early on in his tenure, LaFleur discussed the illusion of complexity, which in short, keeps defenses off balance by running a variety of plays from similar looks, along with plays that begin similarly but are different. In order to accomplish this, versatility amongst the skill-position players is key.

Lining up inside also gives Watson free releases off the line of scrimmage. Although Brian Gutekunst didn’t mention Watson by name, on Friday when meeting with reporters, he did mention that the young receivers as a group can be better at getting off press coverage. In Week 18, we saw Detroit give the Packers receivers fits in this regard. From the slot, however, that isn’t an issue, and when that’s the case, Watson’s speed becomes a real issue.

Watson being effective from the slot also gives the Green Bay offense the opportunity to attack the middle of the field – especially when against Cover-2, where there will be a lot of space, which the Packers saw a lot of towards the end of the season with opponents wanting to limit the downfield passes. Watson’s final two touchdowns against Dallas were prime examples of this as he got a clean release while lined up inside, ran across the middle of the field, and with the defenders unable to keep up, he had two uncontested catches that ended with touchdowns.

As Watson’s role and production continued to grow, his effectiveness from the slot flew a bit under the radar, but it will be an important element for this Packers offense moving forward.

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Packers WR Christian Watson finishes rookie season with 100-yard game

In the final game of his rookie season, Packers WR Christian Watson caught five passes for 104 yards and ran twice for 12 yards.

Green Bay Packers receiver Christian Watson finished his rookie season with another 100-yard game.

The second-round pick caught five passes for 104 yards and ran twice for 12 yards during the Packers’ 20-16 loss to the Detroit Lions in the regular season finale on Sunday night.

Of Watson’s seven touches, five created first downs. Two of his touches directly contributed to points: He hauled in a 45-yard contested catch to get the Packers on the move on the team’s only touchdown drive, and his 27-yard catch led to a Mason Crosby field goal.

The performance represented a strong finish for a rookie who emerged as a legitimate playmaker over the second half of the 2022 season.

From Week 10 on, Watson caught 31 passes for 523 yards and seven touchdowns and rushed four times for 61 yards and another score. While touchdowns are often variable, the rest of his numbers over the eight-game span when extrapolated over 17 games equate to 66 catches for 1,111 yards and 130 rushing yards.

Packers quarterbacks had a passer rating of 121.5 when targeting Watson during the 2022 season.

Watson finished with eight catches of at least 20 yards and three over 40, including two touchdowns of 50 or more yards.

Among rookies in Packers history, Watson finished eighth in catches (41), seventh in receiving yards (611) and third in touchdown catches (7).

Christian Watson vs. Davante Adams as rookies

Watson, 2022 Adams, 2014
Games 14 16
Snaps 507 738
Targets 66 66
Receptions 41 38
Receiving yards 611 446
Receiving TDs 7 3
Total TDs 9 3
Passer rating targeted 121.5 87.5
Yards/catch 14.9 11.7
Yards/target 9.3 6.8
Catch% 62.1 57.6
First downs 28 23

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Packers WR Christian Watson and KR Keisean Nixon both ACTIVE vs. Vikings

The Packers will have rookie WR Christian Watson and KR Keisean Nixon available on Sunday against the Vikings.

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The Green Bay Packers will have dynamic rookie receiver Christian Watson and explosive kickoff returner Keisean Nixon in some capacity against the Minnesota Vikings.

Watson and Nixon are both active on Sunday despite being labeled as questionable on the final injury report of Week 17.

Both were injured in Miami and missed the second half of the Packers’ 26-20 win. Neither Watson nor Nixon practiced on Wednesday or Thursday, but Watson did return in a limited capacity on Friday.

The pair worked out at Lambeau Field pre-game before getting clearance to play.

It’s unclear if Watson and Nixon will be full-go, but now the Vikings must take account of their playmaking ability when the Packers have the ball or are preparing to return a kick.

Here are the Packers’ inactives vs. the Vikings:

CB Shemar Jean-Charles
RB Tyler Goodson
LB Krys Barnes
OT Rasheed Walker
OT Caleb Jones
WR Bo Melton
DL Jonathan Ford

Jean-Charles and Barnes missed time midseason with injuries and have been frequent healthy scratches. Melton, a rookie receiver signed off the Seahawks’ practice squad this week, won’t play, likely due to Watson and Nixon both being active. Also inactive is Goodson, who was elevated from the practice squad to the gameday roster. And despite an injury to Dean Lowry along the defensive line, Ford – another rookie – is inactive again.

Packers hoping WR Christian Watson (hip) can play vs. Vikings

Packers rookie WR Christian Watson will be a true game-time decision on Sunday against the Vikings.

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Rookie receiver Christian Watson will be a true game-time decision on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, but the Gren Bay Packers remain hopeful that he will be able to play in the pivotal Week 17 showdown at Lambeau Field, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Watson injured his hip in Miami, missed the entire second half against the Dolphins and practices on Wednesday and Thursday, and then only practiced in a limited capacity on Friday. The Packers listed him as questionable on the final injury report.

Watson’s playmaking ability relies on elite speed and suddenness, which could be hindered significantly by a lower-body injury. But the Packers need a win over the Vikings, and not having Watson could significantly complicate the task on Sunday.

The Packers may not know definitely if Watson can play until 90 minutes before kickoffs when inactives are announced. Per Schefter, he will test the hip on the field during warmups to help make the decision.

The team must also consider that a win next week over the Lions will also be required to make the playoffs, and having Watson closer to 100 percent in the season finale may be better than risking his recovery this week.

There’s no denying his impact. Watson has eight total touchdowns since Week 10, and he’s produced at least three catches and 40 receiving yards in six straight games.

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Vikings vs. Packers final injury report has two players out

The Vikings will be without two players on Sunday

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The Minnesota Vikings are just like most teams. They aren’t completely healthy going into week 17 but their injuries to key contributors are minimal.

Going into Sunday’s rivalry game with the Green Bay Packers, the Vikings will have two players out and no other players listed on the injury report.

Center Garrett Bradbury will miss his fourth-consecutive game with a back injury. He would have likely returned against the New York Giants last Saturday but a minor car accident re-aggravated the injury.

Defensive end James Lynch will also miss the game after suffering a shoulder injury.

For the Packers, wide receiver Christian Watson is questionable. He was limited in practice on Friday afternoon. Returner Keisean Nixon is also questionable with the rest of their lengthy injury report having their designations removed.

Christian Watson, Keisean Nixon both questionable to play vs. Vikings

The Packers listed WR Christian Watson (hip) and KR Keisean Nixon (groin) as questionable to play on Sunday vs. the Vikings.

The Green Bay Packers may not know the availability status of dynamic rookie receiver Christian Watson and electric kick returner Keisean Nixon until close to kickoff on Sunday afternoon against the Minnesota Vikings.

The team listed Watson, who is dealing with a hip injury, and Nixon, who has a groin injury, as questionable to play against the Vikings on Friday’s final injury report.

Both Watson and Nixon were injured on Sunday in Miami and then missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday in Green Bay. Watson returned in a limited capacity on Friday, but Nixon didn’t participate for a third-straight day.

It’s possible Nixon is closer to doubtful than questionable, but the Packers are leaving the door open for him to improve enough to play in a hugely important game on Sunday at Lambeau Field. Watson’s ability to practice in some capacity on Friday likely means he’s going to be a true game-time decision as long as he continues to improve through the weekend.

Only Watson and Nixon received injury designations on the final injury report, meaning all others – including left tackle David Bakhtiari, right tackle Yosh Nijman and quarterback Aaron Rodgers – are good to go without restriction for Sunday.

Keep an eye out for the inactive list come Sunday. It will be released around 1:55 p.m., and it will provide the final answer on the playing status of both Watson and Nixon.

The Vikings ruled out starting center Garrett Bradbury and defensive lineman James Lynch. Starting guard Ezra Cleveland and cornerback Cameron Dantzler are free of a designation and will play.

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Vikings vs. Packers: 5 things to know about Week 17’s opponent

The Packers are in an interesting place currently

The rivalry is ready to be rekindled on Sunday afternoon when the Minnesota Vikings take on the Green Bay Packers. Before the game occurs, it’s a good idea to understand where they are at.

They have a chance to make the playoffs but it will require them to win their final two games over both the Vikings and Detroit Lions.

We took a look at the Packers and found five things that you need to know heading into Sunday.

Packers rookie receivers have put together an impressive resume during 2022 season

Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs are among the most effective rookie receiving duos in NFL history

The Green Bay Packers did a great job drafting in 2022 when they selected receivers Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs in the second and fourth rounds respectively. The duo became the fourth rookie receiving tandem in NFL history to reach the 35-reception threshold while also managing to catch three touchdowns apiece.

Among the other rookie duos to achieve this impressive feat were Bill Groman and Charley Hennigan in 1960, Fred Barnett and Calvin Williams in 1990, and Darrin Chiaverini and Kevin Johnson in 1999.

Watson also became the only player in the league this season to have seven receiving touchdowns and multiple rushing touchdowns and moved to third place among Packers rookies for receiving touchdowns in a rookie season. He will need two more receiving touchdowns to tie for second place in franchise history in that category, which would match the mark set by receiver Max McGee in 1954 when he came down with nine passes for six-point scores.

Both of Green Bay’s rookie receivers are among the top five in their draft class for touchdown receptions this season, and also rank among the top 10 in receptions and receiving yards.

Both of these outstanding pass-catchers have bright futures, and the Packers appear to be stacked at the receiver position moving forward. Watson’s length and incredible long speed should make him a viable deep threat for years to come, and Doubs’ savvy route running will make him a favorite target of any quarterback he plays with over the course of his career.

As a second-round selection, expectations for Watson were high entering the 2022 season, and after an adjustment to the pace of play in the NFL, he has burst onto the scene since Week 10. Doubs has been a steady contributor all season but is still waiting for a breakout performance of more than 100 yards receiving in a single game.

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