Tag: christian watson

Detroit Lions biggest key matchup vs. Green Bay Packers

Breaking down the Detroit Lions biggest key match-up vs. Green Bay Packers in Week 4

Coming off a big win against the Atlanta Falcons, the Detroit Lions travel to Lambeau Field to battle the Green Bay Packers on a short week. They’ve got a three-day turnaround to get right and be ready for Jordan Love and the Packers.

Fortunately, the Packers also have a short week and will have to be just as prepared as they’ve been all season. No doubt this is a pivotal match-up for both teams.

As the Lions prepare, they’ve got quite a few different players to focus on. For starters, rookie tight end Luke Musgrave has been a solid addition to the Packers passing attack. In Week 3, he had eight targets, and it turned into six receptions for 49 yards. So far this season, he has earned a 75-plus percent snap share each week, and he even had 29 snaps aligned in the slot last week.

Much of the production for Musgrave could be due to the fact that wide receiver Christian Watson has been out every game so far this season due to a hamstring injury. There’s speculation that Watson returns Thursday night against the Lions but that remains to be seen.

In addition to Musgrave, the Packers have started to see some efficient production from wide receiver Romeo Doubs. He’s the Packers highest rated wide receiver on PFF with a 74.7 receiving grade. So far this year, Doubs has 19 targets for 11 receptions and 129 yards. He’s also tallied three touchdowns and 9 first down receptions.

While it’s important to focus on the Packers offense, it’s important to note that it looks tough for them to get going if Jordan Love is off-the-mark on any drive. Meanwhile, this offense looks like it desperately needs running back Aaron Jones back into the starting lineup. Much like Watson, he’s also dealing with a hamstring injury.

As we wait for more updates on the health of the Packers offense, let’s focus on a player that is healthy for Green Bay. That’s edge rusher Rashan Gary. Through 3 games this season, Gary has 44 pas rushing snaps (per PFF) and it’s generated in one hit, 8 hurries and four sacks. According to their pass-rushing production metric, he’s the number one player right now.

If the Lions get left tackle Taylor Decker, that would be a huge plus as it looks like Gary is becoming the premier edge rusher he was expected to be coming out of Michigan.

Now, if Decker is out for Thursday night due to his ankle injury, I’d get ready to see Penei Sewell to stay busy with Gary for much of the night. Then again, the Packers could deploy Gary opposite of Sewell and have him match-up against fifth-round rookie Colby Sorsdal.

The simple move is for Decker to return and move back to left tackle so Sewell can play right tackle. If that doesn’t happen, it could be a long night for the rookie tackle out of William & Mary, who the Lions had been preparing to play guard. The Lions will need Sorsdal to step up and in at right tackle since Matt Nelson injured his ankle and it required surgery.

Whatever happens, will happen but look for Jared Goff to get rid of the ball quickly and for the rushing attack to run away from number 52 of the Packers defense on Thursday night.

Packers’ Aaron Jones, Christian Watson both expected to play vs. Lions

The Packers should return RB Aaron Jones and WR Christian Watson on TNF against the Lions. CB Jaire Alexander? Far less likely. Updates from NFL Network here.

A few important player availability updates from Tom Pelissero of NFL Network ahead of Thursday night’s showdown between the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions: running back Aaron Jones and receiver Christian Watson are expected to return from injuries and play, but cornerback Jaire Alexander looks like a long shot to go.

Pelissero said Watson, who missed the first three games of the year with a hamstring injury, will make his 2023 season debut but is expected to be on a pitch count. Jones is also expected to return and split time with backup A.J. Dillon. The return of both will provide the young Packers offense with two dynamic playmakers for the primetime matchup.

The defense will likely be down two starters. Linebacker De’Vondre Campbell won’t play after injuring his ankle on Sunday, and Alexander is trending toward missing a second straight game with a back injury.

“No final decisions on that, but it sounds like it’s leaning towards Alexander will not play against the Lions,” Pelissero said.

The Packers are short-handed at cornerback, especially considering Carrington Valentine’s uncertain playing status (questionable) after injuring his biceps on Sunday. Expect at least one practice squad elevation — likely Corey Ballentine — before kickoff on Thursday.

For the Lions, left tackle Taylor Decker isn’t expected to play, meaning Detroit will be down two starting offensive linemen. Running back David Montgomery also isn’t expected to play, but cornerback Emmanuel Moseley, a free-agent signing of the Lions this season, will make his debut with the team on Thursday night.

UPDATE: Pelissero now says Decker and Montgomery WILL play, while Moseley isn’t expected to play.

Needless to say, the announcement of inactives around 5:45 p.m. CT will be significant. Both the Packers and Lions have big decisions to make on player availability as the two teams grapple with a short week.

Matt LaFleur has said many times that when weighing injury situations, he won’t risk losing a player for a significant amount of time for one game. That played out last Sunday when the Packers didn’t have Jones or Watson. And it could play out again as the Packers try to get Alexander’s back issue figured out, especially with the extra future rest allowed by playing on Thursday night.

Here’s the segment from Pelissero:

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Packers WR Christian Watson: Plan is to play Thursday vs. Lions

Packers WR Christian Watson said he’s planning to make his 2023 season debut on Thursday against the Lions.

Green Bay Packers receiver Christian Watson said he’s planning on making his 2023 season debut on Thursday night against the Detroit Lions.

Watson, who injured his hamstring before the regular season, missed the Packers’ first three games. He didn’t play coy when asked if he’ll play against the Lions in Week 4.

“That’s the plan, that’s the plan. Yes sir,” Watson said Tuesday.

Watson said Tuesday’s walkthrough went well. The Packers listed him as a limited participant. Coach Matt LaFleur said later Tuesday that Watson still needs to be cleared medically to play.

“I’m feeling really good with where I’m at,” Watson said.

Watson said his return to the lineup will provide a “different element” to the Packers offense. His speed as a vertical threat and as a playmaker in general could help open up an offense that has flashed huge potential but also struggled with consistency. Last season, Watson caught 41 passes for 611 yards and seven touchdowns and added 80 rushing yards and two more scores over 14 games as a rookie.

Watson said he had no setbacks during the recovery process.

“The injury was what it was.”

He was injured during practice on Aug. 31. By kickoff on Thursday night, Watson will have missed roughly a month of action.

“There was no date for me. As soon as I was feeling I could be Christian Watson was when I was going to go out there,” Watson said. “Whenever I was ready.”

It appears that time has come.

ESPN: Packers playmakers Aaron Jones, Christian Watson ‘getting closer’ to playing vs. Saints

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Packers playmakers Aaron jones and Christian Watson are ‘getting closer’ to playing against the Saints while managing injuries:

It sounds like a couple of key Green Bay Packers contributors are going to be real game-time decisions when they kick off with the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler cautioned that the Packers are known for practicing patience with injured players, but noted that wide receiver Christian Watson and running back Aaron Jones are both trending up in advance of this week’s matchup.

More from Fowler:

“The Packers have close calls in running back Aaron Jones and wide receiver Christian Watson, who are questionable for the Saints game with hamstring issues. The Packers are sorting through all of this over the weekend. Green Bay is notoriously cautious with injuries. But, both players are getting closer.”

Jones and Watson are two of five Packers players who are questionable to play against the Saints this week — their teammates David Bakhtiari (knee), Lukas Van Ness (elbow), and Jaire Alexander (back) are also managing injuries. We’ll see how many of the group ultimately suits up on Sunday, but the Saints need to prepare for Green Bay to field the best team possible at Lambeau Field.

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Breaking down Packers’ final injury report of Week 3 vs. Saints

Breaking down the final injury report for the Packers ahead of Week 3 vs. the Saints.

The Green Bay Packers listed running back Aaron Jones, left tackle David Bakhtiari, receiver Christian Watson, outside linebacker Lukas Van Ness and cornerback Jaire Alexander as questionable and ruled out left guard Elgton Jenkins and safety Zayne Anderson on the final injury report before Week 3 against the New Orleans Saints.

How will the injury situation affect Sunday’s showdown?

Here’s an in-depth breakdown of the Packers’ final injury report ahead of Week 3:

Packers WR Christian Watson practices again Wednesday

Packers receiver Christian Watson was back on the practice field again Wednesday. He could return in Week 3 vs. the Saints.

Green Bay Packers receiver Christian Watson was on the practice field again on Wednesday, increasing the possibility of him returning from a hamstring injury and playing in Sunday’s home opener against the New Orleans Saints.

Watson, who has missed the first two weeks of the 2023 season, practiced in a limited capacity last Friday but wasn’t yet ready to return on Sunday in Atlanta. He’ll have three more practices to get ready to play against the Saints this week.

Per Mike Spofford of the team’s official site, Watson was wearing a black sleeve on his injured leg during the start of practice Wednesday.

Watson originally hurt his hamstring during a practice on Aug. 31, meaning he’s almost three weeks removed from the original injury.

Returning Watson would provide a big boost for a Packers passing game preparing to face one of the NFL’s most experienced and successful defenses. The Saints haven’t allowed more than 20 points in a game since Week 9 of last year. The secondary includes veterans such as Marshon Lattimore, Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye.

The Packers will release the first injury report of Week 3 later Wednesday.

While Watson returned and will likely be listed as limited, expect to see running back Aaron Jones (hamstring) and offensive linemen David Bakhtiari (knee) and Elgton Jenkins (knee) as “did not participate.” Per Spoffrd, Jones did not come out for practice after team stretch, and Bakhtiari and Jenkins weren’t available.

Jones injured his hamstring in Week 1 against the Bears and hasn’t practiced since. Bakhtiari missed Week 2 with a swollen knee, and Jenkins went down with a knee injury in the first half of Week 2.

The Packers will provide injury report updates on Wednesday and Thursday before the final injury report and playing status designations arrive Friday.

Packers inactives: Who’s in, who’s out for Week 2 vs. Falcons?

A look at the Packers’ inactive player list for Week 2 vs. the Falcons. Who’s in, who’s out?

The Green Bay Packers will be without left tackle David Bakhtiari, receiver Christian Watson and running back Aaron Jones on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. All three offensive starters are officially inactive for Week 2.

The Packers had Bakhtiari, Watson and Jones all listed as questionable entering the contest. Watson and Jones are dealing with hamstring injuries, while Bakhtiari might be sitting out due to the turf in Atlanta.

Here’s a look at who’s in and who’s out for the Packers in Week 2:

Packers expected to be without RB Aaron Jones, WR Christian Watson vs. Falcons

The Packers’ inactive list in Week 2 will likely include RB Aaron Jones and WR Christian Watson, who are both expected to miss Sunday’s showdown with the Falcons.

The challenge for Matt LaFleur’s team in getting to 2-0 on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons will likely become clear when the inactive players for the Green Bay Packers are announced 90 minutes before kickoff.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Packers are expected to be without running back Aaron Jones and receiver Christian Watson, who are both still recovering from hamstring injuries and were listed as questionable on the final injury report on Friday.

Jones was injured at the end of a receiving touchdown in the third quarter of the Packers’ Week 1 win; Watson hurt his hamstring during a practice before Week 1. Only two weeks into a long season, the Packers are likely taking the cautious route with both players and allowing another week to heal their hamstrings, a muscle that can easily suffer a setback if not allowed to properly and fully heal.

LaFleur’s team scored 38 points and took down the Bears without Watson in the season opener, but scoring enough points to beat the Falcons in Atlanta without both Watson and Jones on Sunday will be a tall task for LaFleur and starting quarterback Jordan Love.

Without Jones, the Packers will expect to start A.J. Dillon, who rushed 13 times for 19 yards in the opener. He’s in a contract year, so any opportunity to start and carry the load is a big one. Dillon’s primary backups would be Patrick Taylor, a practice squad elevation for the second week in a row, and Emanuel Wilson, a rookie who led the NFL in rushing yards during the preseason.

Much is the same at wide receiver this week. Romeo Doubs, who caught a pair of touchdown passes in the season opener, is the primary target. So is rookie Jayden Reed, the team’s preferred option in the slot. Opposite Doubs will be a mix of rookies Dontayvion Wicks and Malik Heath and second-year receiver Samori Toure. The Packers did not elevate a receiver from the practice squad.

The passing game will also miss Jones, who caught two passes for 86 yards against the Bears in Week 1. He had a 51-yard catch setting up a touchdown, and a 35-yard touchdown catch on fourth down a drive later. Dillon dropped a pass in the opener and doesn’t have the same kind of explosive ability as a pass-catcher.

Without Jones and Watson, can the Packers be good enough on offense to beat the Falcons? LaFleur and Love will be challenged to create explosive plays and productivity on the ground on Sunday.

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Report: Colts wanted Packers WR Christian Watson in Jonathan Taylor trade talk

The Colts wanted WR Christian Watson in trade talks involving RB Jonathan Taylor, but the Packers never considered trading Watson, per ESPN.

The Indianapolis Colts wanted Green Bay Packers receiver Christian Watson while discussing a trade involving disgruntled running back Jonathan Taylor, per Adam Schefter of ESPN, but the Packers “never considered dealing Watson” and only offered draft picks for Taylor during what is considered “initial discussions.”

According to Schefter, a trade involving the Packers, Colts and Taylor “did not get close.”

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the Packers offered two “mid-round picks” for Taylor but trade talks involving the Colts are now over with the regular season starting.

Watson, the Packers’ second-round pick in 2022, scored nine total touchdowns during his rookie season, including eight over Green Bay’s final eight games. His numbers over the final half of the season suggest Watson could soon become one of the NFL’s star receivers.

The Colts also wanted receiver Jaylen Waddle in trade talks with the Miami Dolphins, suggesting the team’s desire to get a standout young receiver for Taylor but also highlighting how unreasonable the Colts were in attempting to find realistic compensation.

The Packers may have explored the idea of adding Taylor, an All-Pro at the NFL level who starred at the University of Wisconsin, but including Watson in a hypothetical trade would have never made sense for the Packers as the team transitions into the Jordan Love era.

Watson will miss Sunday’s season opener against the Chicago Bears with a hamstring injury. Taylor remains on the physically unable to perform list and will miss at least the first four games of the 2023 season.

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Even without Christian Watson, Packers still must push the ball downfield vs. Bears

The Packers won’t have their top deep threat vs. the Bears, but the passing game still must find ways to push the ball downfield in the season opener.

Even without Christian Watson in the lineup on Sunday, the Green Bay Packers need to make sure that they show the Chicago Bears defense that they are still very willing to push the ball downfield.

With his speed, Watson brings a dynamic vertical presence to the Packers offense. That, of course, creates big-play potential for himself, but his simple presence on the field, through the attention that he draws from opposing defenses, can lead to more spacing for the offense to work within, which can help open up opportunities for others, not only in the passing game but in the run game as well.

Through the first half of last season, we saw the effect on this Packers offense of not regularly having Watson – or any true deep threat – on the field. Defenses essentially dared the Packers to throw the ball by playing closer to the line of scrimmage and shrinking the field. The result was that this made moving the ball on the ground and through the quick passing game much more challenging, with the field condensed and more defenders in the area.

With a first-time starting quarterback in Jordan Love and a young group of pass catchers, success on the ground and the utilization of the quick passing game once again feel like elements that the Packers offense is going to lean on. And without Watson, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Bears utilize a similar strategy described above in an effort to make Love and the Watson-less group of pass-catchers be the ones to beat this Chicago defense with intermediate and deep throws.

Although this year’s group of receivers and tight ends are much more inexperienced than last year’s units, this Packers offense may be better equipped to handle Watson’s absence in 2023 with the speed they can still have on the field.

During the pre-draft process, the Packers clocked Jayden Reed running a 4.37-second 40-yard dash. For reference, Watson ran a 4.36. Luke Musgrave was one of the fastest tight ends in what was a very deep and athletic draft class. Romeo Doubs doesn’t have Watson’s or Reed’s speed, but it’s not as if he is slow either, and with his route running, he has the ability to win in all parts of the field.

Similarly, with Dontayvion Wicks, who is not a burner, his route-running abilities and use of double-moves allow him to make plays downfield. During the 2021 college season, he ranked 14th in total yards on passes of 20-plus yards. That same season, Samori Toure ranked 13th in the same category, according to PFF.

Whether Love and these young pass catchers will be on the same page and able to connect on these downfield attempts is an unknown, but the Packers absolutely have to try. Even if there is the belief from the Bears’ defense that Green Bay is willing to push the ball downfield, that can impact how they defend them. Hopefully, that then leads to what was already discussed, which is better spacing and more room for the offense to operate with the run and quick passing games.

A core element of the Matt LaFleur offense is utilizing the run game to set up shot plays downfield, oftentimes off of play-action. This is also a Chicago defense that last season ran a lot of Cover-1 and Cover-2 looks, which are the coverages that the Packers found a lot of success against when pushing the ball downfield in 2022.

So, although the Packers are without Watson, pushing the ball downfield – of course, not recklessly – will be a must for this offense. They have the personnel to do so. The opportunities for big plays against this defense may still be there, and if they don’t, the negative trickle-down effect to the rest of the offense may be too much to overcome.