Packers beat Panthers 27-19 as Christian Watson returns from hospital mid-game

Injury and hospital trip

Christian Watson, the Green Bay Packers' wide receiver, hurt his chest on a 53-yard catch in the second quarter of the game against the Carolina Panthers on Thursday, 29 October, at Lambeau Field. On the same play, Carolina cornerback Will Lee dove to make a tackle, hurt his hamstring and was carted into the locker room, where he did not return. Watson left the field under his own power, holding his midsection, and was then taken by ambulance to a local hospital for examination. The team feared he may have sustained a serious injury. German outlet N-tv reported that he had spat blood and that a broken rib was diagnosed.

Return to the field

Doctors cleared Watson after ruling out serious internal bleeding, and he was back at Lambeau Field well before the end of the third quarter. He rejoined the game to a loud ovation from the home crowd, after a 50-yard field goal had made it 27-13. Watson later said he had hoped to avoid the trip.

“I never wanted to go [to hospital], I was hoping they'd let me off.”

He said a doctor's phone let him follow the play-by-play while he was in hospital. In the game, Watson finished with eight catches for 113 yards, the most of any player, and he caught a six-yard pass on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Packers hold off Carolina

Jordan Love completed 30 of 41 passes for 288 yards with three touchdown passes and one interception. Josh Jacobs scored twice, on a four-yard catch and a one-yard run, and Green Bay withstood three turnovers to improve to 5-3. Bryce Young went 23 of 31 for 209 yards for Carolina, with one touchdown pass and one interception. His 26-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Coker cut the deficit to 27-19 with 5:37 remaining. The two-point try failed, the Panthers lost the ball on downs at midfield with 2:41 left, and a sack by Dani Dennis-Sutton ended their last chance. Carolina fell to 3-4.

Jordan Love (Packers)288

Bryce Young (Panthers)209

Jordan Love (Packers)

288 yards

Bryce Young (Panthers)

209 yards

Data from the article text

Carolina's cornerbacks and Watson's history

Carolina already had three cornerbacks on injured reserve: Akayleb Evans, Mike Jackson and Jaycee Horn. Evans had been placed on injured reserve before Thursday's game, so Lee's hamstring injury added to the problem. The New York Times noted that Watson had also gone to hospital with a chest injury last season, in Denver, and played the following week in Chicago. Before his injury on Thursday, Watson had six catches for 100 yards, and the Times described him as the Packers' No. 1 wideout.