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Christian Watson's breakout means little if he can't sustain it
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson. Mark Hoffman/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Packers WR Christian Watson's breakout means little if he can't sustain it

Christian Watson deserves a bit of credit after Green Bay's last-second 20-19 win over the Chicago Bears this past weekend. In fact, he deserves a ton of credit.

Watson, a third-year receiver out of North Dakota State, caught four of the four targets that came his way for 150 yards against the Bears, which was a career high.

He was the big-play threat the Packers have always envisioned, averaging 37.5 yards per catch, and he's arguably the biggest reason not named Karl Brooks that the Packers won their 11th straight over their rivals.

Simply put, Watson was a star against Chicago, and that was highlighted by this play that broke the game open for the Pack in the fourth quarter:

"Phenomenal play, phenomenal catch by Christian, and then just obviously the awareness to get up, not being touched and to go put together a huge run," quarterback Jordan Love said after the win, according to ESPN. "I think Christian made some big-time plays in the game, had a couple big-time catches, and I'm proud of the way he balled out."

That's the type of wideout Watson can be. The problem for him in his young career has been injuries and, as a result of those injuries, consistency.

He had a stretch in his rookie season that saw him catch seven touchdown passes from Aaron Rodgers in four games. Last season, he caught only five touchdown passes, but that included two in one game (against the Kansas City Chiefs). Speaking of injuries, he played in only 10 games.

This was Watson's breakout game of 2024 despite the fact that he didn't score a touchdown, but it won't mean much for the Packers long-term if he goes another few games without making these big plays.

If he can do it consistently, he's one of the most talented wide receivers in the NFL. Perhaps now that he's healthy and has found a rhythm with Love, more games like this will be the norm for Watson.

Unfortunately, his history as a pro so far suggests that won't be the case. The Packers are hoping for otherwise, though.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

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