Yahoo Sports NFL on Christian Watson
From the article
Packers quarterback Jordan Love has done his most damage this year against the blitz when he's had either Christian Watson or Matthew Golden in one-on-one looks, but unlike a lot of the teams Green Bay has played this year, the Patriots are just as comfortable playing man as they are playing zone, even behind a blitz. Gonzalez travels, as he's followed around specific receivers in man coverage at least 10 times in three separate games, a number that leads the NFL. For perspective, neither Watson nor Golden has been seen man coverage 10 times by a single defender in a single game this entire season.
STACKED’s take
Watson's one-on-one blitz success faces Patriots' elite man coverage led by Gonzalez.
Watson had a 100-yard receiving performance against Carolina despite an in-game trip to the hospital for a rib injury; however, Carolina's split-safety coverage limited the Packers' offensive explosiveness. The Patriots, unlike Carolina, employ aggressive man coverage behind max pressure (37 times this season, most in the league) and will not sit back passively. Watson has done his most damage against the blitz in one-on-one looks, but the Patriots are comfortable with man coverage even behind a blitz, and Christian Gonzalez has traveled with receivers in man coverage at least 10 times in three separate games—a league-leading number. Watson has not faced man coverage 10 times by a single defender in a single game all season, making the Gonzalez-Watson matchup a critical test.
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