The Green Bay Packers’ offense was mired in quite a slump just a few weeks ago. Even with tight end Tucker Kraft on the field, the unit was not playing up to its potential. Kraft was the team’s YAC machine, picking up chunks of yardage after the catch to spark some big plays. But one thing that just wasn’t quite working yet was Jordan Love connecting with his wide receivers on deep passes.
A few deep shots to Matthew Golden stand out, with Love being just slightly unable to connect with his rookie wideout. But since Christian Watson returned to the lineup, coming off a torn ACL, everything has opened up. The deep ball is officially back.
With it comes the explosive element that this Packers offense was missing for the first half of the season or so. And it’s not just deep balls that move the ball down the field; it’s also deep balls going for touchdowns. Hitting on those game-changing plays unlocks so much of this offense, so it’s critical to have that threat back to soften defenses up in the middle for the running game.
Speaking of which, this week’s run game should be worth monitoring closely. Even if Josh Jacobs plays, the Packers could end up using a heavier than usual dose of Emanuel Wilson, but he’ll surely have some extra motivation given the opponent.
Let’s look at those and many other storylines as we head towards the Packers’ big game with the Broncos on Sunday.