Christian Watson scores vs. the Chargers, November 19, 2023
The Packers played their most entertaining game of the year so far, pulling off an impressive comeback, and holding off a late Charger rally in a thrilling 23-20 victory. Jordan Love set a career high in yards, completing 27 of 40 passes for 322 yards and 2 touchdowns, marking the first time a Packer quarterback eclipsed 300 yards in a game since the 2021 season.
The Green Bay offense received important contributions from every receiver, as Love was able to spread the ball around, and pick out the weak spots of the Charger defense repeatedly. Jayden Reed solidified his position as the team’s best overall receiver, and a dangerous all-around weapon with a tidy 46 yards receiving and 46 yards rushing, including an electric 32-yard end around touchdown for the Packers’ first score. While Romeo Doubs leads the team in receptions with 65, Reed has a commanding lead in yards with 463, while averaging almost 15 yards per reception out of the slot.
Fifth rounder Dontayvion Wicks also continues to push for more playing time as he led the team in yards with 91, plus an additional 24-yard pass interference penalty drawn against Asante Samuel. Wicks has been a big play machine every time he’s in the game, and while Romeo Doubs made a sensational fourth quarter touchdown catch to put the Packers ahead and complete their comeback, it was Wicks who accounted for 59 of their 75 yards on that drive. Tight ends Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft also had outstanding games receiving and blocking. While the Packers struggled to run up the middle, Kraft was a dominating force on the outside, while Musgrave made an outstanding block to spring Reed on his big run.
Unfortunately, the Packers did suffer some key injuries, including a leg injury suffered by Aaron Jones that figures to keep him out for a few games at least. The hit looked like it might be season ending in real time, but Matt LaFleur was cautiously optimistic that it may not be a long-term issue, although the team was still waiting on the results of an MRI. Backup running back Emmanuel Wilson also suffered an injury which is likely to keep him out for the upcoming Thanksgiving game against Detroit, if not longer. The Packers signed free agent James Robinson on Monday, and he will likely serve as AJ Dillon’s backup on Thursday. Dontayvion Wicks is also in the concussion protocol, and his status for Thursday is in question as well.
While Jordan Love was slicing up the Charger defense, rookie Carrington Valentine was doing his best Jaire Alexander impression, anchoring the Packers’ injury-riddled secondary. Valentine played an impressive, physical game, and while Los Angeles’ top receiver Keenan Allen still had a solid game (10 catches, 116 yards, 1 touchdown), the rest of the Charger offense was largely kept in check.
Damage Limited
Even the much-maligned Packer run defense managed to limit the damage from Austin Ekeler and Josh Kelly, who combined for 77 yards on 16 carries. The most effective rusher for L.A. was quarterback Justin Herbert (73 yards). Rashan Gary has been quiet since signing his contract extension, but he was a beast on Sunday, getting to Herbert on the Chargers second to last drive and forcing a punt, and recovering a key fumble, when Kenny Clark jarred the ball loose from Austin Ekeler on the Packer two-yard line.
While the defense was without several key contributors in the secondary, linebacker Quay Walker returned to lead the team in tackles with seven. His outstanding coverage in the middle of the field was essential to the Packer defensive effort.
The Chargers still had an opportunity to win this game late thanks to a pair of misses from rookie kicker Anders Carlson, who missed a 53-yard field goal attempt, and more importantly, a PAT. Carlson is 14-17 on field goals for the season, which is respectable given how often they ask him to hit long kicks, but he’s only hitting 90% of his extra points, which will need to improve going forward.
The Packers next face Detroit on Thursday for the Lions’ annual Thanksgiving game. Detroit is one of the best teams in the NFC and had no trouble taking care of the Packers last time, with a dominant offensive line, and rushing performance. It will be interesting to see if the new-look Packer offense can keep up.
