When Jordan Love targets Christian Watson, good things happen. In fact, when Love connects with Watson for four or more receptions in a game, the Green Bay Packers are 8-1. The only defeat was a three-point heartbreaker at Ford Field last season in a game the Packers could, and probably should, have won.
This season alone, when Watson gets at least four catches, the Packers are 3-0. When he has fewer than four, they are 0-2.
Talking of Ford Field, the Packers just completed an emphatic 31-24 victory to complete their first season sweep over the Detroit Lions for half a decade. Watson received a career-high 10 targets, hauling in four for 80 yards and a touchdown, including a game-changing 51-yard score. Matt LaFleur is quickly learning: Make Watson the focal point.
Christian Watson is breaking out as the Packers' WR1 they desperately needed
LaFleur knows how important Watson is to this offense, but he's never fully committed to making him the key piece to the passing attack.
In 2023, Watson had just two games with at least four catches. The Packers won both, by the way. He had only three more in 2024 and was never targeted more than seven times in a game. But when they made him the focal point, good things happened, like in the Packers' 20-19 win over the Chicago Bears. Watson caught all four targets for an unreal 150 yards. He made the difference.
Frustratingly, LaFleur didn't build on that and make Watson the No. 1 guy, but all signs point to that finally changing.
Before this season, Watson had just five games in the Jordan Love era with at least four receptions. He already has four in his first six games since returning from injury.
Watson is up to 21 catches for 363 yards and three touchdowns since his Week 8 return, which puts him on pace to set a new career best in receiving yards, and that's despite missing the team's first six games. Over a 17-game season, his current pace would put him on track for 1,028 yards and nine touchdowns.
No, this version of LaFleur's offense will never have a true "WR1." Not a target machine like Davante Adams was in Green Bay. But Watson is establishing himself as the guy. Defenses fear him, and Love knows he can trust him.
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He only caught 40 percent of his targets on Thanksgiving, but it's always important to look beyond the box score. One target somehow didn't draw a pass-interference penalty despite Watson literally having one arm tied behind his back. He still nearly caught it one-handed.
Watson did drop a pass, a crucial one on third down on the game-sealing drive, but it was a tough catch in tight coverage. And that came moments after he saved the drive with a clutch catch on third down.
The scary part is he's only five weeks removed from his return from a torn ACL. You're not supposed to look this good so soon. He is playing as well as ever. Watson is no longer just a deep threat who can clear space for those underneath. His presence on the field still achieves that, but he's winning in the intermediate passing game, and defenses know he can burn them deep on a moment's notice — his 51-yard touchdown is proof of that.
It's rare to find a receiver at 6-foot-4 who can run this fast. Watson has Love's complete trust, and it's why QB1 looks to him in so many crucial moments.
Romeo Doubs is an important piece of this offense. Dontayvion Wicks reminded everyone how talented he is against the Lions. Matthew Golden still has a part to play in this season's story.
But Watson, only six games into his return, looks better than ever. LaFleur is finally learning just how much of a difference-maker the 2022 second-round pick can become when the passing game goes through him.
Watson is quickly becoming the guy in the Packers' offense.