After catching only 10 passes in his first six NFL games, Green Bay Packers rookie receiver Christian Watson broke out in a big way on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.
The 34th overall pick caught four passes for 107 yards and three scores.
The touchdowns were Watson’s first three as a receiver (he previously had a rushing score); the 100-yard receiving game was also his first in the NFL.
The big plays helped the Packers avoid a sixth-straight loss and allowed Matt LaFleur’s team to escape with an overtime win.
Here’s a quick breakdown of all three touchdowns:
First touchdown
Situation: 7-0 Cowboys. Second quarter. 3rd-and-1.
Play: The Packers dialed up a play-action pass against a man-to-man, Cover-1 defense. Watson altered his release slightly and won inside (something Aaron Rodgers noted), re-stacked cornerback Anthony Brown vertically (important for maintaining leverage downfield), tracked the ball in the air and made a difficult over-the-shoulder catch (something he’s improved on) as he was drifting toward the sideline. Brown had no tackle attempt and Watson cruised into the end zone. Speed kills. Rodgers threw a perfect ball, too.
Result: 58-yard touchdown
Second touchdown
Situation: 28-14 Cowboys. Fourth quarter. 4th-and-7.
Play: Another high-leverage spot. If the Packers don’t convert this, it would have been a long way back to tie the game. Matt LaFleur dialed up a play he showed to Rodgers earlier in the week and it worked to perfection. A bunched trio formation to the right side allowed Watson to get a free release, and then his speed took over on the deep crosser. He beat the corner easily and was too fast moving horizontally for the single high safety to recover in time. Once again, Rodgers’ throw was right on the money.
Result: 39-yard touchdown
Third touchdown
Situation: 28-21 Cowboys. Fourth quarter. 1st-and-goal.
Play: Another stacked alignment (with Allen Lazard) on the right side of the formation created a free release. A play-action fake drew in defenders as Watson sprinted across the field on another crosser, and both the trailing corner and single-high safety weren’t fast enough to keep up. Again, Rodgers hit him right in stride. Tie game. (Note: Watson also converted 3rd-and-2 with a chain-moving catch earlier in this drive.)
Result: 7-yard touchdown
Here are all three touchdown catches in video form:
