Christian Watson, Aaron Jones provide Packers with crucial reinforcements at two pressure spots

The Packers can attack the Lions differently if both Christian Watson and Aaron Jones suit up this week.

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Maybe Matt LaFleur and his players aren’t aligned on what “the plan” is or, more likely, the injured Green Bay Packers weren’t supposed to spill the cheese curds about who might suit up Thursday night. Either way, the team appears to be operating under the assumption that top wideout Christian Watson will make his season debut against the Detroit Lions while lead running back Aaron Jones will make his return.

Green Bay proved it can win without either against an elite defense. But to beat a game Lions opponent that has played them tough under Dan Campbell, the Packers will need their two most dynamic offensive weapons to bolster the squad in two essential areas.

No one has thrown the ball down the field more often through three weeks than the Packers. Jordan Love leads the league in average target depth and is third in expected points added per play, so the approach is working; sling the pill. And it’s working without the top receiver on the field. Not only that, but Watson is the best deep threat on the team by a country mile.

And it’s showing.

Among regular starters, only Kenny Pickett has a lower Pro Football Focus passing grade on throws traveling 20-plus yards in the air than Love. Grades aside, the Packers successfully hit just 3 of their 16 such attempts so far this season which is as many turnover-worthy plays as Love has on those throws (though one of those came when he dropped the snap on the chunk play to Luke Musgrave in Week 1).