Why Packers shouldn't rush Christian Watson back for Vikings clash

12/26/2024 10:09 PM

Week 17’s clash with the Minnesota Vikings is a massive game for the 11-4 Green Bay Packers. If they win, they’ll be 12-4 and will have knocked the Vikings down to 13-3. With each team still having one game left remaining after this one (the Packers play the woeful Chicago Bears while the Vikings play the NFC-leading Detroit Lions) there’s a very real chance both teams would finish at 13-4. And that would be great news for Green Bay.

In that hypothetical situation, the Packers — currently the sixth seed — would flip seeding with the Vikings. That would likely match the Packers up with the Atlanta Falcons and rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. instead of the red-hot Los Angeles Rams and Super Bowl-winning quarterback/coach tandem Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay.

That change in seeding is a big deal, but the Packers can’t get there if they don’t beat the Vikings in Week 17 first. Keep in mind, if they lose there’s always the potential they fall to the seventh seed to face the Philadelphia Eagles. That would require a loss to the Bears in Week 18 as well, but stranger things have happened in that rivalry.

The point is, the Packers can set themselves up nicely for a road run to the Super Bowl as long as they keep winning. One would think that means doing everything they can to make sure that they’re at full strength when taking on the Vikings this weekend at U.S. Bank Stadium, but there is still the long game to consider here. They have to win this battle against Minnesota, but there’s still the war of attrition that is the NFL playoffs to consider.

As such, the Packers should not rush back any important players who are currently dealing with injuries, and on top of that list is wide receiver Christian Watson. Would it be nice to have him against the Vikings? Of course. Watson is a true game changer when he’s healthy.

The problem with Watson, though, is that his health has often been a question mark in his young career. If it comes down to rushing him on the field against he Vikings or having him fully heathy for a playoff run, the Packers need to play it safe and keep him out of this one.

Christian Watson won’t be out for long

The good news heading into Week 17 is that we’re talking about a situation in which Watson could play. That’s much better than talking about weeks to months of recovery, but that’s always the concern with Watson when he goes down with injury.

Much of his injury history has centered around his hamstring He’s a quick-twitch athlete whose No. 1 asset is speed. But there’s been a thought around him that his quick twitch muscle ability has also been a curse for him as well — at least as far as his hamstring is concerned.

The Packers couldn’t have been thrilled to see Watson go down in Week 16 against the New Orleans Saints, but if there was any good news after the game, it was that Watson did try to ride it out. The Packers ultimately shut him down, but it’s worth noting that the game was already a blowout by that time.

“I went back in, and it was feeling all right,” Watson said after the game, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN. “But it was just kind of lingering a little bit and I just couldn’t play the type of football I wanted to play, so I just had to shut it down.”

The Packers are also happy because it doesn’t seem like the type of injury that will linger. In fact, head coach Matt LaFleur classified it as a bruise.

“We got good news on him. “So [it was] more just a bruise. It was when the guy fell on him on the sideline,” LaFleur told the media.

This is the type of injury that doesn’t sound like it’s a long-term issue, so there’s reason to believe that Watson could be 100-percent by the time the playoffs roll around if the Packers are conservative with him these last two weeks.

Packers don’t need Watson to be explosive on offense 

It would be one thing if Watson was all of Green Bay’s offensive plan heading into this game against the Vikings, but that’s actually far from the case. To be fair, he’s a big part of what the Packers do when they’re clicking on all cylinders, but he’s not the engine that keeps this thing going.

That’s Josh Jacobs, and his 278 carries for 1,216 yards and 13 touchdowns. The Packers are utilizing him as an every down back who can control the pace as well as the tone of the game. LaFleur will run him on first through fourth down, which means defenses have to be acutely aware whenever Jacobs is on the field.

Green Bay’s rushing offense is fourth best in the NFL, rushing for 147.3 yards per game, and that allows plenty of room downfield for the Packers wideouts to work.

Watson has been the beneficiary of that running game as he’s averaging 21.4 yards per catch, but he’s far from Green Bay’s only deep threat. Jayden Reed (803 yards and six touchdowns) is a speedy threat all over the field, and Romeo Doubs (543 yards and four touchdowns) has become one of the best possession receivers in the NFC. If Reed or Doubs aren’t getting open, second-year wideout Tucker Kraft (618 yard and seven touchdowns) is quickly becoming a superstar and the Packers just got back tight end Luke Musgrave, who they spent a second round pick on in 2024. He’s a deep threat as a tight end who can be a terror down the seams when healthy.

The point is, the Packers don’t need Watson to beat the Vikings because they can be explosive in many other ways, but they might need Watson in order to have the most efficient version of their offense in the playoffs. Resting him in this one makes the most sense because there are several other players who can still get the job done. Meanwhile, he’ll be able to get healthy for a playoff push.

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