It’s a perfect time for Christian Watson to come back.
The Packers have desperately needed another receiving threat. Tucker Kraft (19), Romeo Doubs (19), Dontayvion Wicks (16), Josh Jacobs (14) and Matthew Golden (14) are the only Packers with double-digit targets after four games.
Jordan Love has an average depth of target of 8.1 yards. That means that the majority of passes are at or near the line of scrimmage, which ultimately bottles things up for the running game, which is still looking to take off.
Watson is perfect because he can stretch the defense. Even if the connection between Love and Watson isn’t generating deep touchdown passes, at least defenses will have to pay attention to him.
“I know he’ll attack it the right way,” said LaFleur after a Week 18 home loss to Chicago last year where Watson went down with a non-contact injury. “He’ll handle the adversity. It’ll be a bump in the road for him and I think he’ll come back better. That’s just how he is built. It’s how he’s wired. I think there will be good, just down the road.”
Since Watson is now practicing, he can return to games as early as this Sunday against Cincinnati. It is up to the coaching staff to see where he is and if they are comfortable putting him out there.
Even at the end of training camp, Watson was making strong cuts and if you didn’t know that he was coming back from an ACL tear, you’d assume that he was playing in Week 1.
With the passing game not getting down the field as much as it would like, I say you have to play him. Not to mention, the Bengals have a toothless defense that is allowing over 272 passing yards a game coupled with an opposing quarterback completion percentage of 65.
This is the perfect game for Watson to come back and get some confidence after the Packers went winless in Weeks 3 and 4. The Packers not only need to beat the Bengals, but they need to get their offense on track.
Give Jacobs some running lanes and force Cincinnati’s secondary to actually cover Green Bay’s wideouts deep. And when you start throwing deep and getting an early lead, then you can start to mix in the play-action, which should work great for a receiver like Watson that has 10 receptions that were 40-plus yards downfield in his career.
I know there are plenty of Watson detractors, but he has done so much to get to where he is right now. And yes, even if Watson has a touchdown reception in his first game back, many will probably still say, “He won’t make it through the entire season.”
"It's a lot of work honestly," said Watson after practice on Monday. "Everyday, I was just giving the training room some grief last week because I still didn't get any days off last week either. So I really haven't taken a day off since my surgery."
To be honest, I’m not worried about the entire season right now. The Packers need a win, and they need one bad.
Which is why Watson is perfect for right now.