Watson Took a Ride in an Ambulance on His Way to 113 Yards

Green Bay’s Thursday night win over Carolina got a lot more complicated than it needed to be. The Packers struggled to run the ball — again — and almost let a 27-10 lead slip. Then their leading receiver went to the hospital.

And somehow, they still needed him to help finish the game.

Christian Watson ended Green Bay’s 27-19 win with a career-high eight catches for 113 yards. Six catches and 100 of those yards came before his trip to the hospital. The two that followed included a third-down conversion that made the final few minutes a whole lot easier.

The injury happened on a 53-yard reception in the second quarter. Watson struggled to catch his breath and said he was coughing up blood on the sideline, so doctors sent him for a CT scan. According to the Packers’ official report, the testing showed a broken rib but no internal bleeding. He was cleared to return and came back wearing extra padding around his ribs.

Watson said after the game:

Before I even left, I wanted to get back out there.

Watson converted a third-and-8 with a 24-yard catch on Green Bay’s first touchdown drive. His 53-yarder that he got hurt on helped set up Josh Jacobs’ go-ahead rushing touchdown. He also lost an early fumble, so this wasn’t exactly a flawless performance. But Love kept going back to him, including on a deep target on his first snap after coming back in the game.

That’s the value Watson brings. Defenses have to respect the deep ball, but Love can still hit him underneath when Green Bay needs a short conversion. With Jacobs finishing with just 39 rushing yards on 21 carries, those answers through the air were doing a lot of the heavy lifting.

This season has given the Packers plenty of reasons to trust Watson. He now has 42 catches for 708 yards and six touchdowns through eight games, already passing his previous full-season bests in catches and yards. After the hamstring issues and torn ACL that interrupted his first few years, that’s a pretty meaningful step forward.

Matthew Golden and Tucker Kraft both caught touchdowns Thursday, and Green Bay extended their lead while Watson was away. There’s real help around him. But with Jayden Reed out for the season, Watson’s mix of explosive plays and dependable completions matters even more.

Which brings us back to third-and-2 with 2:33 left.

Carolina had cut the lead to eight. Love found Watson for seven yards, forcing the Panthers to burn their last timeout. By the time they got the ball back, only 22 seconds were left on the clock.

Getting out of the ambulance will be the clip everybody remembers. Fair enough. But that last catch is why Green Bay was so happy to have Watson back. The Packers needed two yards, the running game wasn’t giving them much, and Love knew exactly where to go.

All stats courtesy of Fantasy Points Data.

Want more NFL coverage? Head to Sports Pass for the latest. And for more stories that keep you informed and entertained, YourLifeBuzz has you covered.