Christian Watson is playing arguably the best football of his career, emerging as the go-to target Jordan Love desperately needed in the Green Bay Packers' offense.
He also knows what it takes to defeat the Chicago Bears. His four-catch, 150-yard performance in the Packers' win at Soldier Field last season showed everyone what can happen when the passing offense goes through him.
The Packers host the Bears in arguably the most anticipated matchup between the two teams since 2013. Chicago sits atop not just the NFC North, but the entire conference, and Watson sent a clear message to Green Bay's oldest rivals.
"I think there was going to be a lot of juice to it regardless, but the top spot is where we want to be," said Watson, via Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. "Really, we're starting with the NFC North. They're the top of the NFC North right now. So we're coming for that spot."
Christian Watson is key to the Packers' chances of beating Bears in crucial NFC North showdown
This game may mean even more to Watson, as it's the Bears' first visit to Lambeau Field since January 5. He suffered a torn ACL in that game, ruling him out until the Packers' Week 8 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers this season.
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But Watson looks better than ever. He is fully healthy and used his time on the sideline not just to recover, but also to level up his game. In his six games since returning, Watson has hauled in 21 passes for 363 yards and three touchdowns.
The 2022 second-round pick only has eight fewer catches than he made all of last season, and that was in 15 games.
Watson is right. Chicago has what Green Bay wants: The NFC North lead. The Detroit Lions have owned the division for the past two seasons, and the Minnesota Vikings took the title in 2022. The Packers haven't held the crown since a three-season reign that ended in 2021, Aaron Rodgers' most recent MVP campaign.
At 8-3-1, the Packers are in touching distance of the 9-3 Bears, and the two teams meet twice over the next three weeks. These two contests will define the NFC North race for both teams.
Green Bay has to, at the very least, hold serve in the Lambeau showdown this weekend. Watson will need to play a starring role, and he's already sent a clear message to the Bears.