The Green Bay Packers are scheduled to face their division rival Chicago Bears in a Week 18 game to close out the regular season, but they may have to do so without wide receiver Christian Watson.
The Packers were missing Watson, who is dealing with a knee injury, in their Week 17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur on Thursday took stock of Watson status, via Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated.
“Christian Watson will probably have to work tomorrow if he wants to play Sunday,” LaFleur said.
Watson appeared in 14 games with the Packers this season and caught 29 passes for 620 yards and two touchdowns.
The Packers have clinched a Wild Card berth while the battle for the NFC North will come down to the Sunday Night Football matchup between the Detroit Lions and Vikings. The Packers could move up from 7th to 6th, but that’s all a Week 18 win against the Bears could do for them. The Packers would need the Washington Commanders to lose to the Dallas Cowboys for that to happen.
With a win not doing much for them, Green Bay will most likely err on the side of caution and allow Watson to have another week to recover before the playoffs begin.
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If the Commanders beat the Cowboys on Sunday, they will move into sixth place, leaving the Packers in seventh place.
In this case, the Packers would face the No. 2 seed Philadelphia Eagles on the road at Lincoln Financial Field. The two teams opened the season against each other in São Paulo, with Philadelphia winning 34-29.
If the Packers beat the Bears and the Commanders lose to the Cowboys, allowing Green Bay to move up to the No. 6 seed, they will face the No. 3 seed Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. The Packers picked up a road victory against the Rams in Week 5, winning 24-19. Quarterback Jordan Love was 15 of 26 for 224 yards and two touchdowns, also throwing an interception, to lead Green Bay to its second road victory of the season.
The Rams game would likely be more ideal for the Packers, as that environment wouldn’t match the hostility they would find in Philadelphia.
