Tag: christian watson

Ravens defensive backs may benefit from upcoming joint-practice vs. Packers

With Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love ranked No. 2 in the NFL pass TD’s last year, joint practice may benefit the Baltimore Ravens DB’s.

Did you know Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love ranked No. 2 in pass touchdowns and No. 7 in passing yards last season? Perhaps the Baltimore Ravens will benefit by having their defensive backs run practice reps in Wisconsin next month.

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Keep a close eye on rookie defensive backs Nate Wiggins and T.J. Tampa in the upcoming joint practice with the Packers. The Packers’ wide receiving core includes Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, and Dontayvion Wicks, targets shown to be serviceable in head coach Matt LaFleur’s offense.

With the addition of running back Josh Jacobs, the Packers will be the perfect offense for the Ravens to test their defense versus play-action. 

Ravens inside linebacker Roquan Smith will be responsible for familiarizing the rookies with pre-snap identifiers and playcalling. With new intricacies to be introduced in defensive coordinator Zach Orr’s playbook, the rookies must prepare by studying film and getting many practice reps.

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The Ravens will get back to it when training camp begins Jul. 20. Orr knows that with the departure of a few key players on defense, the world will be watching to see how the team reinvigorates. 

Fantasy football outlook: Green Bay Packers wide receivers

Trying to make sense of all that is the Green Bay receiving corps.

The Green Bay Packers have one of the most complex fantasy football wide receiver rooms as any team in the league. Their 2024 salaries combined are just $11.5 million, but the Packers had surprising production with a group approach that included rookies Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks and second-year players Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs. At one point or another, each player was the go-to receiver for Jordan Love, but none of them sustained it over the course of the season, making all of them have slowly descending value with none of them viewed as a dominant fantasy starter.

Packers WR Christian Watson picked as top comeback player for 2024

With talent aplenty and a potential solution to his hamstring injuries acquired, Packers WR Christian Watson is being viewed as a top comeback candidate in 2024.

Green Bay Packers receiver Christian Watson played in only nine games and was on the field for fewer than 500 total snaps because of unrelenting hamstring injuries during the 2023 season.

With talent aplenty and a potential solution for the injuries now acquired, Watson is being viewed as a top comeback candidate for 2024.

In his list of nine NFL players who fit the “bounce-back bill,” NFL.com’s Eric Edholm included Watson.

From Edholm: “There’s no doubt Green Bay’s young group of pass catchers is the envy of the NFL, with ample firepower spread around. That might limit Watson’s star potential as the group’s pseudo-WR1, perhaps sharing those honors with Reed. But Watson was the assumed go-to target entering last season, and it’s too soon to forget that — especially if his hamstring issues have been mitigated.”

This offseason, Watson spent time with specialists at the University of Wisconsin to help understand why he keeps suffering so many lower-body injuries. The potential answer? Strength asymmetry in his legs. Watson’s work to rectify the imbalance this offseason could help keep him on the field in a full-time role in 2024.

The on-field results have been electric when Watson has been available. Over a three-game stretch before his second hamstring injury in 2023, Watson caught 14 passes and scored four touchdowns as the Packers rattled off impressive wins over the Chargers, Lions and Chiefs and revived their season. Over the final eight games of 2022, Watson produced three 100-yard receiving games and scored eight total touchdowns as the Packers made a late dash in Aaron Rodgers’ final stretch as the quarterback.

Watson is a playmaker. A catalyst. The definition of a difference maker.

Now, imagine Watson — more physically and mentally strong entering Year 3 in the NFL — playing a full 17-game schedule with ascending young quarterback Jordan Love in Matt LaFleur’s vertical-heavy passing game? It’s a potentially explosive combination of factors for a receiver dripping with naturally talent.

Watson must prove the hamstring issues are a thing of the past. Can he get through training camp without an injury? His first two NFL seasons have been plagued by injuries suffered before the start of the regular season. Coming into a year close to 100 percent will be vital.

Consider this: For his career, Watson is averaging 8.7 yards per target. At that rate, he’d need only 115 targets — just targets, not receptions — to reach 1,000 receiving yards over 17 games in 2024. It’s certainly possible.

A verified big-play and touchdown creator, Watson just needs more opportunities. And the only way to get more opportunities is staying on the field. He’ll have his chance in 2024.

Wisconsin helped a Green Bay Packers star WR fix his lingering injury issue

Wisconsin helped a Green Bay Packers star WR fix his lingering injury issue:

Specialists at UW-Madison may have saved the Green Bay Packers season.

That is a bit of hyperbole. But they have seemingly helped Packers star WR Christian Watson figure out his lingering hamstring problem.

Related: Where every member of Wisconsin’s record-breaking recruiting class of 2021 is now

Watson has played in only 23 of 34 possible games since the Packers selected him in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft. Eight of those absences were in 2023 due to a pulled right hamstring.

In January, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reported that Watson underwent eight hours of testing at the University of Wisconsin’s School of Medicine and Public Health to determine the reason for his injury struggles. That testing revealed asymmetry between the muscles in his two legs — a difference in muscle mass of as much as 20% between his right and left leg.

Watson described what he learned from UW-Madison specialists when meeting with the media in Green Bay last week.

“It was the asymmetry between the legs,” Watson said. “It comes from a lot of things, obviously the issues I’ve had in the past with hamstrings, not fully recovering from those strength-wise. I’ve just been attacking the strength side of it, trying to get that symmetry back. It’s been huge for me, I feel really good.”

The wide receiver went on to explain that perfect symmetry may be impossible to achieve. But his goal is to get his legs’ muscle mass within 6% of each other.

 

Wisconsin Badgers football is not necessarily to thank for this breakthrough, but rather UW-Madison’s School of Public Health — which in 2021 was given a sizable grant by the NFL to study the prevention and treatment of hamstring injuries.

Watson’s breakthrough is a perfect example of the application of the school’s research.

The Packers wide receiver is a dynamic deep threat when on the field and healthy. The team will need that threat if it is to improve upon 2023’s surprising run to the NFC Divisional Round.

If all works out, Packers fans have Wisconsin to thank.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

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Packers WR Christian Watson searching for symmetry in effort to avoid hamstring injuries

Fixing an asymmetry problem could be the key to solving Christian Watson’s hamstring problems.

Green Bay Packers receiver Christian Watson feels like he’s at 100 percent after hamstring injuries derailed his 2023 season, and he’s confident fixing an “asymmetry” problem — discovered during a visit with hamstring specialists at UW-Madison — will give him a better chance to stay healthy and avoid injury in 2024 and beyond.

Watson said building symmetry in the strength of his legs is the key moving forward.

“For me, it was really just the asymmetry between the legs,” Watson said Tuesday. “I’ve been attacking the strength side of it, trying to get the symmetry back in it, and that’s been huge for me.”

The third-year receiver said lingering weakness resulting from past injuries likely contributed to the asymmetry. Now, building strength to create balance is the goal, and it’s working so far. Watson was on the field as a full participant during OTAs on Tuesday.

“I’ve been feeling really good, continuing to build on that, continuing to get that strength up,” Watson said Tuesday. “I definitely feel like I’m at 100 percent, just in terms of what I’m able to do on the football field right now.”

Watson missed the first three games of the 2023 season with a hamstring injury and then re-injured his hamstring against the Kansas City Chiefs in early December, which forced him out of the final five games of the regular season. A 2022 second-round pick, Watson has missed 11 games in two NFL seasons.

Coach Matt LaFleur said Watson is in “a really good place” at this point of the offseason workout program.

Can Watson continue building strength, find symmetry, avoid fatigue and stress and eliminate the injuries that have prevented him from being a consistent difference maker for the Packers? A 6-4 receiver with elite speed and athletic ability, Watson has proved he can create big plays and score touchdowns when he’s on the field. Now, he’s armed with the information required to stay on the field.

Hear more from Watson below:

Matt LaFleur: Eric Stokes and Christian Watson look great to start offseason

Both Eric Stokes and Christian Watson are full go to start the Packers offseason workout program.

Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur said cornerback Eric Stokes and receiver Christian Watson, who both had their 2023 season wrecked by soft tissue injuries, look “great” to start the offseason workout program.

LaFleur went as far as to say Stokes, specifically, has been a full participant to start the offseason.

“He’s been full go. He looks great,” LaFleur said Saturday.

The Packers are in the first stages of the offseason workout program, which feature strength and conditioning and limited on-field work. OTAs begin next month.

“I think yeah, once you get into more competitive environment, less controlled, I think you wanna see how people respond, but I’ve been really happy with how these guys have been training in regards to the routines and just watching the effort that they’ve been putting on tape,” LaFleur said.

Stokes, a 2021 first-round pick who was excellent as a rookie, played just 110 snaps over three games last season while dealing with multiple hamstring injuries. Watson, a dynamic touchdown-creator when on the field, missed eight games with hamstring injuries, including each of the last five regular season games.

The Packers need both to be healthy and available if they want to reach their potential as a Super Bowl contender in 2024. Watson is a vital vertical threat and playmaker in the passing game, while Stokes will have a legitimate chance to start opposite Jaire Alexander in Jeff Hafley’s new defense.

The Packers don’t have another player like Watson, who is 6-4 with elite speed. He had touchdowns in three straight games before going down with a hamstring injury in Week 13 last year.

“He looks great,” LaFleur said. “He’s had a really good start to the offseason. We just gotta keep it going that way.”

The first round of OTAs for the Packers begin on May 20.

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.