Good things happen when the Green Bay Packers feature Christian Watson in the passing game.
It's nothing new, and the evidence backs it up. What sparked the Packers' resurgence in Aaron Rodgers' final year? The team began the season 3-6 but finished with a 5-3 run. The difference? Rodgers started throwing to Watson, who caught 31 passes for 523 yards and seven touchdowns in that run.
Fast forward to 2023, Jordan Love's first year as the starter. The Packers' offense battled through inconsistent play and a blatant lack of experience, while Watson missed time with hamstring issues. Who ignited the turnaround?
The Love-to-Watson connection.
In the three games following a 1-5 stretch, Watson caught 14 passes for 186 yards and four touchdowns. The Packers won all three, against the Los Angeles Chargers, Detroit Lions, and Kansas City Chiefs, no less.
How's this for a stat? In the 10 career games that Watson has made four-plus receptions (including Sunday's win over the Chicago Bears), the Packers have a 7-3 record. In the 22 games he has had three or fewer catches, the Packers are 10-12.
Watson's usage doesn't directly correlate to wins and losses—there are various factors—but it's not a coincidence. When he gets the ball often, the Packers tend to find a better rhythm offensively.
Why? Not only is Watson a big-play threat, as he proved with an average of 37.5 yards per catch versus Chicago, but he terrifies defenses. It forces them to send multiple defenders in his direction and, in turn, opens up nothing but green grass for the other receivers to run into.
Watson is the Packers' best wide receiver. Jayden Reed is a star, Romeo Doubs is reliable, and Dontayvion Wicks has the potential to be great, but it's Watson who should lead the way.
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Many view the former second-rounder as a boom-or-bust receiver due to his big plays, but that's an unfair narrative. It ignores the fact that, in a receiving corps that can't hold onto the football, Watson has zero drops this season. None. He is also an excellent blocker and gives maximum effort on every play, even when the ball isn't going his way. Watson is about as unselfish a wide receiver as you will find in the NFL.
"We're out here to win football games. We're not up here to pad stats and do that, or at least, I can only speak for myself," said Watson after the Packers' win over the Bears. "We've got to win the football game first, but when you complement that with being able to play a big part of it, it definitely means a lot."
That's a great attitude, but here's the thing: Watson's success translates to team success, as proven by the aforementioned .700 win percentage when he catches four-plus passes compared to the .455 record when he doesn't.
Despite his ability to single-handedly change games, Watson ranks fifth on the team in targets and third among wide receivers in snaps. Sure, missing the best part of two games contributed to that, but Doubs also missed a game and has 16 more targets.
Watson must become the guy in the passing game. That doesn't mean he needs to demand a Davante Adams level of target share—this offense thrives on spreading the ball around—but he needs a chance to make a greater impact.
Watson has repeatedly said he has a team-first attitude, even when he had zero targets in Week 2. However, putting Watson first also puts the team first. The Packers are a better football team when the ball is thrown in No. 9's direction early and often.
And the better Watson does, the easier life becomes for Reed and Doubs to impact the game.
It's time for LaFleur to make a change. Have the passing game through Watson, and watch this offense take off.
