Slowly but surely, the Green Bay Packers are ramping up first-round rookie wide receiver Matthew Golden's workload. His snap has steadily risen in each of the team's first three games this season. He uncoincidentally saw a corresponding bump in production in their stunning loss to the Cleveland Browns despite leaving a lot of meat on the bone.
Golden's breakout is very close, and it could come as soon as Green Bay's highly anticipated upcoming Sunday Night Football clash with the Dallas Cowboys. The Packers should have no trouble moving the ball through the air against them, if the NFC North rival Chicago Bears taught us anything.
Bears newcomer Luther Burden III proved that the Cowboys are the perfect elixir for a talented young playmaker. Dallas' secondary is currently in shambles, and their defense as a whole leaves much to be desired with perennial All-Pro Micah Parsons now in Green Bay.
With momentum on his side and an opportunistic matchup on tap, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has no reason not to get Golden going.
Packers, Matt LaFleur get blueprint for Matthew Golden breakout vs. Cowboys courtesy of Bears
All Burden needed was three targets to carve up the Cowboys and finish as Pro Football Focus' highest-graded receiver in Week 3 ($). He hauled in every ball thrown his way for 101 yards and a touchdown, with most of the damage coming on a 65-yard flea-flicker highlight. However, that wasn't the only big play we saw from him, as he also connected on a 29-yard catch.
If Burden and the Bears can get behind the back end of Dallas' stop unit, why can't Golden and the Packers do the same? Sure, Green Bay is reportedly "trending" toward facing Cowboys star cornerback DaRon Bland, who sat out in Chicago. Yet, one player's return only helps so much, so LaFleur can't be afraid to dial up explosives in his club's forthcoming primetime showdown.
The Cowboys have been a doormat for aerial strikes, which the numbers properly reflect. Here's how the rank in the following statistical categories entering Week 4:
- Most passing yards per game allowed (288.0)
- Most adjusted yards per pass attempt allowed (10.8)
- Second-most yards per completion allowed (13.2)
- Second-highest opponent passer rating (125.3)
- Fourth-highest opponent completion percentage (73.9)
Note: Stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference.
In other words, now isn't the time for LaFleur to give up on Golden. Conversely, seeing the Cowboys on the schedule ought to motivate the former to lean further into deploying the latter.
This year's No. 23 overall selection was arguably a novice mistake away from a 96-yard score in Cleveland, perhaps foreshadowing what's to come in Dallas.