Jordan Love, Christian Watson set tone right away and Packers never look back
DETROIT — Matt LaFleur texted Jordan Love on Thursday morning that he was going to change the play call for the Packers’ first offensive play of the game. He was concerned that the Packers wouldn’t have the potential check-downs they might need.
The first-year starting quarterback told his head coach to keep it, so LaFleur did.
In an uncharacteristic decision, the Packers chose to receive the opening kickoff after winning the coin toss. And on the first play from scrimmage, Love uncorked a bomb to wide receiver Christian Watson deep down the middle of the field. The ball was underthrown — Love should’ve led Watson for a touchdown after he beat cornerback Cam Sutton on the inside — but Watson skied for an impressive 53-yard grab between Sutton and safety Tracy Walker.
Love said they knew Wednesday that a deep shot to Watson would be first on the docket.
“It sets me up for some great dreams, different ways of coming down with it, scoring and all that,” Watson said. “I love going to bed knowing that there’s plays in the offense for me, especially starting off like that. It’s exactly the position I want to be in.”
Watson said that as soon as he ran onto the field, he saw Walker, the safety, playing low. Watson’s first couple steps, he felt Walker not get out quickly enough.
“And that’s exactly when I knew it was going to work,” Watson said. “Obviously got a lot of faith in my speed, so you’ve got to be able to run fast and try to beat the safety and get back to the post.”
LaFleur wanted to set the tone and strike first against an explosive Lions offense, one that scored 27 points in the first half the last time these two teams played, a 34-20 thumping by Detroit in Green Bay two months ago. LaFleur said he didn’t quite know where the ball was going to go, but he had a good idea Watson would be the target. LaFleur told Watson before the game that there was a good chance the ball was coming his way on the first play, just like it did in Week 1 of last season when Watson had what should’ve been a 75-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers fall through his hands after he beat then- Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson .
“Just go up and attack the football,” LaFleur told Watson.
“And he did exactly that,” the head coach said.
“I think earlier in the season, there were a couple of those I didn’t come down with,” Watson said. “So it’s been a focus of mine trying to find a way to make it happen regardless.”
This season has largely been a struggle for Watson, who after the second half of last season looked to be the No. 1 wideout in Green Bay entering 2023. He missed the first three games with a hamstring injury and for the majority of games since then, had been plagued by an inability to develop a connection for explosive plays with his quarterback for a number of reasons — underthrows, drops and lackluster ball tracking among them.
He hauled in a touchdown in last Sunday’s win over the Chargers and on Thursday, had his best game of the season: five catches for 94 yards and a touchdown. That stat line featured his impressive 53-yard catch, an eight-yard reception on the very next play on which he held onto the ball through a vicious hit from Walker, a nine-yard grab on third-and-8 on which he skillfully got both feet in bounds while absorbing a hit and falling backward and a leaping 16-yard touchdown grab after beating cornerback Jerry Jacobs off the line on a slot fade to put the Packers up 29-14 late in the third quarter.
Great grab 9!!! Put some respect on Christian name!!!— Davante Adams November 23, 2023
“Obviously, Christian’s got our trust,” Love said. “He’s just going out there and making plays right now. It was a big-time performance by him today.”
(Photo: Gregory Shamus / )
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