Christian Watson and Matthew Golden are absolutely shredding defenses for the Green Bay Packers right now, piling up 50 catches for 871 yards and eight touchdowns through just five games. This duo is on fire, averaging a ridiculous 17.42 yards per catch together. Honestly, what they are doing in the passing game is something we haven’t seen in Green Bay in over a decade.
Green Bay’s New Target Hogs Are For Real
These guys aren’t just making big plays, they are getting the rock constantly. Golden is leading the entire Packers squad with 44 targets so far this season, which is a massive 24.3% of the team’s total targeted throws. Watson is right there with him, racking up 40 targets, or 22.1% of the total. Tucker Kraft, by the way, is a distant third with 29. What’s wild about these numbers? It is the first time since way back in 2014 that two Packers players have each snagged more than 20% of the team’s targets in a single season. Think about that for a second.
A Top-Heavy Attack We Haven’t Seen In Ages
Back in 2014, we saw Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb absolutely feast, grabbing 28.4% and 23.9% of targets respectively, and both ended up with 1000-yard seasons. That was the last time anything like this happened, and only one other duo even came close. Sure, Davante Adams was a target monster himself, hitting over 20% in five straight seasons from 2017 to 2021. But even during that “all Davante, all the time” era, he only had one running mate who was even close to his production: Jordy Nelson in 2016, who had 19.7% of targets, missing the 20% mark by literally two throws.
Yeah, it paints the Packers’ passing attack as a bit top-heavy, but honestly, what else are they supposed to do? Watson and Golden are almost literally always open. You just have to keep throwing it their way. Maybe one of them cools off a bit if Tucker Kraft really starts to get his feet under him after his ACL recovery, but until then, expect Golden and Watson to keep devouring targets at a rate we haven’t witnessed in a long, long time.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Acme Packing Company.
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