The Green Bay Packers got a Christian Watson touchdown for three straight weeks, so I just kind of assumed that was going to keep happening all year. We didn’t get a Watson TD in the team’s week 4 win over the Buccaneers, but we did get a couple other scores I wanted to dig into a bit, so here we go.
Play 1: 4th & 2, 12:58 remaining in the 2nd quarter
The Packers are in 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WR) at the goal line. They’re in a Nub formation (3 receivers to one side, an in-line TE on the other side), with a bunch formation on the right. They start
with Sky Moore [23] at the point, Matthew Golden [0] on the inside and Christian Watson [9] on the outside. Golden shifts outside before the snap and the coverage bumps as a result.
At the snap, Moore takes off on a shallow drag, Watson releases vertically (veering outside initially) and Golden takes a step in to follow Watson. At this point, it looks like a version of Shield, a concept the Packers like in this area of the field.
On this concept, Watson would work as the “Shield” for Golden, who would be running a Now slant underneath him, off Watson’s hip. It can be incredibly difficult for the defense to stop this if run correctly.
Keionte Scott [22] is the inside defender over the bunch and he’s looking for this on the release. He jumps under Watson and is looking to pick up Golden on the slant.
Instead, Golden runs a quick out. With Scott on the inside shoulder, Jordan Love [10] has room to put this ball.
He throws over Scott in the end zone, and Golden goes up and makes a nice catch.
Play 2: 2nd & 2, 10:39 remaining in the 3rd quarter
Once again down at the goal line, the Packers come out in 12 personnel (1 RB, 2 TE, 2 WR) in a balanced formation (under center, single back aligned behind the QB, a TE in-line on each side, a WR split wide to each side). Before the snap, they shift Watson into an insert position (under the line, between the TE and the tackle). This is a way to give a little more heft to the running game, so the Bucs are looking for a run to the right side.
Over the past couple of years, that insert position has seen wide receivers releasing through the line on vertical routes at an increasing rate. This year, we’ve seen a lot of teams score TDs off of this. In fact, we saw Watson score 2 TDs off of this (Week 1 and Week 3). In both of those we’ve seen Watson release through the line and to a corner route, and Love found him in the end zone.
They’re looking for the same thing here, but Zyon McCollum [27] is looking for it as well, staying home in the deep part of the field. Unfortunately for the Bucs, there is another option.
Tucker Kraft [85] is the TE to the play side. He gives a cursory block to Anthony Nelson [98], then releases to the flat. With McCollum dropping back to pick up Watson, there’s no on in the flat. Tykee Smith [23] is over Watson and sprints to pick up Kraft, but there’s only so much he can do.
Nelson comes off the block from Kraft and is baring down on Love, but Love is able to loft this ball over the top of Nelson and into the hands of Kraft at the front pylon.
I also really like that Arches concept on the backside between Golden and Mark Redman [86]. Normally you see that from a tighter split (or that Arches route coming from the backfield), but the delayed route from Redman makes this work. Definitely one to look out for in the future.
Albums listened to: Stevie Wonder – Songs in the Key of Life; Julia Jacklin – The Gem; Talk Talk – Spirit of Eden; The Smile – Wall of Eyes
