Green Bay Packers fans will need most of the week, if not longer, to sleep off the sting of a demoralizing Week 1 collapse, but receiver Matthew Golden did provide one of the game's positive takeaways with a career-best performance.
The former first-rounder wasted no time vindicating the offseason breakout hype. In fact, Golden already looks like the No. 2 option behind Christian Watson.
Is that an overreaction? Well, maybe just a little, but after Golden led the team with 12 targets and tied Watson with six catches, it's not too early to be encouraged. He's arrived.
Matthew Golden wasted no time delivering on Packers' offseason hype
Golden edged out his previous high with 95 receiving yards, and he looked confident doing it. Impressively, he did most of his work across the middle of the field, finding the soft spot in the defense and using his speed to streak open, then dodging defenders after the catch with his footwork and agility.
Showcasing his big-play explosiveness, he ripped off a 42-yard gain on the first play of the fourth quarter. Golden's highlight was unfortunately overshadowed, as it occurred during the same drive it all went south for the Packers, culminating in a failed fourth-down attempt and followed by a nightmare meltdown.
While the game itself ended in disaster, his individual performance offers a silver lining to carry into Week 2 and hopefully the rest of the season. Watson stole the show with two touchdowns and nearly 150 receiving yards, but Golden stepped readily into the shoes of the prodigious understudy. That one-two punch could be something special.
It's only one game, but it already feels obvious who Love's top three weapons will be this season, as reflected in the box score: Watson and Golden on the outside, with Tucker Kraft at tight end. The trio accounted for 15 of Love's 21 completions, 307 of 387 receiving yards, and 26 of 40 targets.
While it's not going to be this way every week, it sure seems like Golden has already surpassed Reed in the receiver-room hierarchy, at least in terms of upside and explosiveness. The Packers know what they have in Reed, who finished the day with three catches for 20 yards, and that's valuable. Reed is a steady contributor out of the slot, with a stable baseline of production.
Golden, though, is a field-stretching threat the defense has to circle on every play. It won't dilute the bilious aftertaste of an abysmal loss, but what he does next is worth looking forward to. If Week 1 is any indication, Golden's sophomore leap is well underway. The Packers can't afford to waste it.
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