The Green Bay Packers secured the NFL’s first shutout of the season with a 34-0 win over the New Orleans Saints on Monday night. However, the Packers did not come out of the game unscathed, as Packers wide receiver Christian Watson suffered a knee injury.
Christian Watson Injures Knee In Win
Christian Watson takes the handoff inside the 10!
📺: #NOvsGB on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/obfhPJwxpW— NFL (@NFL) December 24, 2024
In the second quarter of a 14-0 game, Watson took an end-around for 14 yards down to the Saints’ 6-yard line.
Saints’ defensive backs Alontae Taylor and Kool-Aid McKinstry landed on Watson’s left knee after being tackled.
Watson only played seven more snaps before exiting the game in the second half.
After the game, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur expressed some concern regarding the severity of Watson’s injury.
“There’s some concern there, certainly,” LaFleur said via ESPN. “We’re going to get some more testing done tomorrow. Hopefully, I’ll have an answer for you tomorrow.”
Watson did not record a catch in Monday night’s win. However, he carried the ball twice for 23 yards. Watson explained how the injury prevented him from playing the type of football he “wanted to play.”
“It definitely hurt right away, but it felt like it was good enough to go back in, so I went back in, and it was feeling all right,” Watson said. “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.”
Watson will undergo further testing on Tuesday.
Matt LaFleur said “there’s some concern there” with Christian Watson, who said after he tried to go back in he “couldn’t play the type of football I wanted to play so we shut it down.”
Jacobs could’ve gone back in but they had planned to rest him a little tonight if possible.
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) December 24, 2024
Packers Clinch Playoff Berth
The Packers have punched their ticket into the playoffs. #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/ynaxSmLEf1
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) December 24, 2024
With the victory over the Saints, the Packers clinched a postseason berth.
Since LaFleur became the coach in 2019, the Packers have qualified for the playoffs in five of the last six seasons. The only miss came in 2022, Aaron Rodgers’ final season.
At 11-4, the Packers are currently the No. 6 seed. Although they can’t win the division, they can move up to the No. 5 seed.
The Packers play the Minnesota Vikings (13-2) in Week 17 before finishing at home against the Bears (4-11) in Week 18.
