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GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBTV) – A player for the Green Bay Packers returned to Thursday night’s matchup with the Carolina Panthers after he was taken to the hospital midgame with an injury.
Packers wide receiver Christian Watson sustained a chest injury after he hauled in a 53-yard pass with just over nine minutes left in the second quarter of the Week 8 game.
Moments after making his way to the sideline, broadcast cameras showed Watson leave Lambeau Field in an ambulance.
Watson returned to the stadium in an ambulance midway through the third quarter, still dressed in full uniform — shoulder pads and all. The 27-year-old receiver ran back onto the field and got a standing ovation from the home crowd.
Much to the amazement of the Prime broadcast crew, Watson was back on the field for the Packers’ next drive.
Watson already had six catches for 100 yards prior to the injury, and added two more for 13 yards after coming back.
His final catch was perhaps the most important. Carolina turned the ball over on downs with just a few minutes left in the game while Green Bay was up, 27-19. The Panthers’ defense then backed the Packers into a third-and-2 with about two and a half minutes to go — enough time to give Carolina hope.
Watson dashed that hope, though, with a seven-yard gain on that third-and-2 play. Green Bay subsequently salted away most of the remaining time, giving Carolina the ball back with only 22 seconds left. The Panthers couldn’t pull off a miracle and fell, 27-19.
Carolina simply failed to generate much offense in the primetime showdown, largely due to the inability to block.
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young was pressured on 22 dropbacks — tied for the most in his career — and was sacked six times. Several other throws were rushed because of protection breakdowns, and Green Bay routinely beat the Carolina offensive line despite not sending too many designed blitzes.
Young’s one interception on the night came after a defensive lineman batted a pass in the air at the line of scrimmage.
Things will not get any easier for the Panthers’ offensive line in Week 9, when they host the Denver Broncos in Charlotte. Denver entered Week 8 tied for the NFL lead in sacks.
Christian Watson returned to the Panthers-Packers Week 8 matchup after a midgame hospital visit.(Melissa Tamez | AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)Click here for more Panthers coverage
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