The Green Bay Packers haven’t looked much like a team ready to seize control of anything at 1-2, but they do have one receiver who can flip a game fast: Christian Watson.
That matters a lot for a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense that’s about to see a familiar kind of stress test in Week 4 of the 2026 NFL regular season. The Bucs are coming off a 35-3 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on primetime, and they’ll head into Sunday’s matchup with Green Bay hoping their defense can slow down Jordan Love and a Packers passing game that has been uneven but still dangerous.
Love’s season has been rough. He’s completed only 53% of his passes, is averaging 6.8 passing yards per attempt, and has a below average TQBR below 50.0. But even with that shaky quarterback play, Green Bay still has enough talent at wide receiver to make life uncomfortable for a secondary that has been up and down.
Watson is the name Tampa Bay has to circle first.
The former second-round pick from North Dakota State has been one of the league’s most productive wideouts through three games, and he’s done it while working with a quarterback who has struggled to find consistency. Watson has found the end zone in every game this season.
He put up more than 90 receiving yards against both the Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons, including 147 yards and two touchdowns against the Vikings in Week 1. Even in his quietest outing, against the Jets, he still managed a touchdown despite catching only four of his 11 targets.
So far, Watson has 17 receptions for 284 yards and 4 touchdowns, with a sparkling 9.8 yards per target. That production has him sitting in the top five in the NFL in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
For Tampa Bay, the likely matchup is Jacob Parrish, who figures to draw the main assignment on Watson. Parrish has been the Buccaneers’ best cornerback, but the numbers haven’t been pretty: a 114.2 QB Rating allowed and just one pass defensed in two games this season. That’s the kind of profile that can get exposed by a receiver who wins with burst, timing and ability at the catch point.
Watson brings exactly that kind of problem. He’s streaky, explosive and already doing the one thing defenses can’t ignore - scoring. If the Buccaneers’ defensive backs aren’t sharp on Sunday, he looks like the one Packers weapon most likely to make them pay.
In Other News...
Buccaneers Have 3 Matchups That Could Decide Their First Win
The Buccaneers head into their matchup with the Packers in a spot that already feels important in the early-season picture, with both teams chasing their first win. For Tampa Bay, the path to getting there starts up front, where the pass rush has a chance to test a Green Bay offensive line that has already shown signs of strain. If the Buccaneers can create pressure without giving Jordan Love clean answers, they can tilt the game in their favor before it settles into a rhythm.
The other key battles come in coverage, where Tampa Bays cornerbacks will have to keep Christian Watson from making the kind of downfield impact that can flip a game quickly. The middle of the field matters just as much, with the linebackers and safeties responsible for limiting Tucker Kraft and preventing Green Bay from finding easy yards on defining downs. For a Buccaneers defense trying to steady the season, those two assignments may end up being just as telling as whatever happens in the trenches. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Face A Brutal Availability Problem In Must Win Vs Packers
The Buccaneers are headed into a pivotal matchup with the Packers with their injury list doing just as much damage as Green Bays pass rush. Tampa Bay will be without starting quarterback Baker Mayfield, and the absences dont stop there, with cornerback Benjamin Morrison, outside linebacker Rueben Bain and tight end Ko Kieft all ruled out as well.
Josiah Trotter and Yaya Diaby are expected to go despite dealing with minor injuries, which at least gives Tampa Bay a little stability in spots where depth has already been tested. Still, this is the kind of availability crunch that can alter a game plan fast, and for a team trying to keep its season on track, the margin for error against Green Bay just got a lot thinner. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Passing Game Just Put Emeka Egbuka At A Crossroads
Emeka Egbukas first taste of NFL football gave the Buccaneers plenty to like, with the rookie receiver showing real promise in his opening season. The early part of 2026, though, has been a different story. His production has cooled, and a shaky passing game has made it harder for him to stay as consistently involved as Tampa Bay would like.
Now Baker Mayfield is sidelined by a thumb injury, and the spotlight shifts to rookie undrafted free agent Jalon Daniels as the expected next man up. Daniels flashed enough in the preseason to give the Buccaneers some hope that the offense can find a better rhythm, and with it, a path back to fuller usage for Egbuka. Whether that change restores his role or leaves the passing game searching for answers is the next question hanging over Tampa Bay. [Read more 🡒]