Watson, Golden and Kraft Help Take Down Dallas
By Eric Goska
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| Christian Watson (9), Matthew Golden (0) and Tucker Kraft (85) combined for 205 receiving yards against the Cowboys. (photos by Eric Goska) |
What better stage than prime time for the Packers’ Big Three to display their wares.
Sunday night, the Cowboys became the latest team to contend
with Green Bay’s potent passing attack. That the Texans departed on the wrong
end of a 23-13 count suggests they failed to adequately limit the damage the
Packers inflicted.
With neither Green Bay nor Dallas gaining traction on the
ground – 105 combined rushing yards – both clubs turned to the air. And there,
in the night sky, the Packers outdistanced the Cowboys by more than four yards
per completion (12.0 to 7.6)
Jordan Love’s receiving corps turned 23 completions into 276
yards. Dak Prescott’s group came away with fewer yards (258) despite more (34) connections.
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| Jordan Love threw for 276 yards against Dallas. |
Golden (3) and Watson (2) were the only Packers to have
receptions of 20 or more yards. Golden (5), Watson (3) and Kraft (2) produced 10
of Green Bay’s 13 first downs passing.
The trio combined for 14 catches and one touchdown (Golden).
Twelve of their receptions fueled scoring drives.
Not all went as planned. Golden dropped a touchdown pass in
the second quarter and Watson did the same in the third. As a result, Green Bay
had to settle for field goals – 25- and 44-yard boots by Trey Smack – on those
advances.
Despite those negatives, Love continued to look to his Big
Three. Golden (13), Kraft (8) and Watson (8) accounted for 29 of Love’s 40
targets.
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| Larry Kuciemba, the Texas Cheesehead, attended the game. |
Watson, Golden and Kraft combined for 307 receiving yards in
Minneapolis. They staked claim to 222 against the Falcons and amassed a season-high
330 in taking down the Bears.
The three lead the NFL with 1,288 receiving yards, 49 ahead
of the Cowboys’ second-place trio of CeeDee Lamb (577), George Pickens (428)
and Ryan Flournoy (234). Lamb and Co. combined for 183 receiving yards against
Green Bay.
In addition, Kraft, Golden and Watson have gained more
receiving yards through the first six games of a season than any other trio in
Packers history. Greg Jennings (530), Jordy Nelson (413) and Jermichael Finley (321) had held that honor with the 1,264 they collected in 2011.
Fingers crossed, Watson, Golden and Kraft make it through the season intact. As Love has set his sights on them, this confab would do well to take aim at the franchise single-season mark of 3,252 yards established by Nelson (1,519), Randall Cobb (1,287) and Davante Adams (446) in 2014. That trio is the only in Packers history to average more than 200 receiving yards a game over the course of an entire season.
Triple Threats
Most combined receiving yards by three Packers players six
games into a season.
1,288 2026 Christian Watson (538), Matthew Golden (501), Tucker Kraft (249)
1,242 1983 James Lofton (609), John Jefferson (342), Paul Coffman (291)
1,218 1942 Don Hutson (819), Andy Uram (328), Ted Fritsch (71)
1,195 2018 Davante Adams (557), Jimmy Graham (349), Geronimo Allison (289)
1,163 2004 Javon Walker (597), Donald Driver (443), Bubba Franks (123)
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