Packer Central

Christian Watson, Josh Jacobs Lead NFL.com’s Top 10 Packers Plays of 2024

Two of the Green Bay Packers’ top plays from the 2024 season, as chosen by the NFL, were from their come-from-behind victory at the Chicago Bears. 

Bill Huber

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson (9) makes a 60-yard reception during the fourth quarter at Chicago.
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson (9) makes a 60-yard reception during the fourth quarter at Chicago. / Mark Hoffman/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
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GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers were perilously close to being swept by the Chicago Bears and going 0-6 in the NFC North in 2024.

That point was driven home when the NFL’s X account posted the Packers’ top 10 plays of 2024 (actually, because of a tie, there were 11 top plays).

The third-best play of the season was Christian Watson’s catch-and-run gain of 60 yards that set up the winning touchdown in the 20-19 win at Soldier Field. On second-and-6 from the 26 with 3:40 to go and the Packers trailing 19-14, Watson made a diving catch, got up and raced to the Bears’ 14. Two plays later, Jordan Love scored the go-ahead touchdown.

“It means a lot to me personally, just being part of this team,” Watson said of playing well against Chicago. “It dates back a long time. To be a part of an historic franchise, to be able to play in a rivalry matchup against another historic franchise, it means a lot to me.

“Honestly, every day I’m just thankful to be a part of this and playing football at this level. These are the types of games I’ve been dreaming of since I was a kid, so I’m super-grateful to be able to play a game like this.”

Watson, whose toe-tapping sideline catch at Seattle also made the list, finished the Chicago game with four catches for 150 yards.

“I can’t say enough about him,” coach Matt LaFleur said afterward. “Obviously, not everything has gone his way here, but he is a resilient dude.”

That was a prophetic quote, considering Watson suffered a torn ACL in the rematch at Lambeau Field.

The best play of the season came a few minutes later, when Karl Brooks saved the day by blocking Cairo Santos’ 46-yard field goal as time expired.

“You dream of that,” Brooks said.

He added: “There was a little panic but not really too much. He made some great plays and set his team up real well, but there was no panic in my game. I was telling myself the whole time the clock was winding, ‘I’m just going to block this. I’m just going to block this.’ The power of the tongue is powerful, so that’s what I went out there and did.”

The Packers lost the rematch to Chicago, though, on Santos’ walk-off field goal. Malik Heath’s leaping grab on a bomb from Malik Willis, which came in at No. 10 on the list, gave the Packers a chance despite losing Watson to his torn ACL and Love to an elbow injury.

“That's something we work on every day. It's something that I work on every day,” Heath said. “I feel like if he's throwing me the ball, I gotta come down with everything. That's just my mindset. That's how my dad taught me when I was young.”

Two of Josh Jacobs’ best runs made the list, as well.

First, at No. 7, there was his 38-yard touchdown run at Jacksonville that featured a wicked jump cut. The touchdown highlighted a victory in which the Packers had to survive after Love dropped out with a groin injury.

“My goal coming into this game was to inspire the play-caller, inspire the team,” Jacobs said afterward. “Whatever that looks like, I just wanted to come in and run hard. Have the guys trust in me. It just played out that way. Unfortunately, Jordan got hurt. I just wanted to come in and make a statement that we could still win games running the ball. We can still win games however we want if we lock into the details and things like that.”

The No. 4 play was Jacobs’ 31-yard, tackle-breaking run that set up the only touchdown of the playoff loss at the Eagles.

“That’s what I want my team to think. That’s what I want my team to believe,” Jacobs said. “I want them to have that same type of belief in themselves. For me, I told them before the game – if you don’t feel like you got it, follow me. I’m going to lead the way. I’m going to give it what I have, tried to do that today. Against big teams, against good teams, and make as many mistakes, costly penalties, whatever, frustration and flags, whatever, it can’t happen.”

The only play on defense was Jaire Alexander’s pick-six against the Titans. None of Xavier McKinney’s interceptions made the list, nor did any of the big plays by Edgerrin Cooper.

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Bill Huber
BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: packwriter2002@yahoo.com History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.