Green Bay

Packers

The worst was confirmed on Monday, as the Packers will now be without their star pass rusher for the remainder of the season. Parsons suffered a non-contact knee injury in the third quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Broncos and remained down for several minutes before being helped off the field by trainers. Head coach Matt LaFleur said after the game that things “didn’t look good,” for Parsons, with reports later coming out that the team feared a torn ACL. There isn’t much to explain here. Parsons is one of the premier pass rushers in the league. He totaled 12.5 sacks in 14 games this season while also posting 41 tackles, 12 TFLs, and forcing two fumbles. The Packers now have to find a way to get by in the regular and postseason without their best player, who has accounted for 37.9 percent of their sacks this season.

Watson appeared to have suffered a shoulder injury but was later listed with a chest injury. The Packers’ top deep threat was taken to the hospital for further evaluation, but was able to fly home with the team after the game. According to Packers beat writer Rob Demovsky, Watson had a CT scan as a precaution on his lungs, but “no issue with his lungs” was found. Whether or not he’s able to play in Week 16 against the may not be known until later in the week, but it sounds like this will be a short-term absence for Watson at the worst. With the Packers playing on Saturday, we should have our first injury report on Tuesday, which will give us a better sense of where Watson’s availability could stand for next week. If he’s unable to go, Romeo Doubs and Matthew Golden would be the favorites to see expanded roles.

Doubs only saw three targets in this one, but the fourth-year receiver could see a bigger workload in Week 16 if Christian Watson (chest) is unable to go. Earlier this season, when Watson was recovering from a knee injury, Doubs saw eight or more targets in three games and finished as a top-36 PPR receiver in four of those outings. He’s a highly volatile player, but may find himself on the radar as a FLEX play if Watson can’t go against the Jaguars.

Golden tied with Jayden Reed for the team-high in receiving yards in Sunday’s loss, and drew a 25-yard DPI on Riley Moss in the third quarter to keep a drive alive. That drive ended with a 40-yard touchdown run by Josh Jacobs on the following play. Golden continues to show flashes in his rookie season but has yet to live up to the billing that made him the No. 23 overall pick in this year’s draft. Fantasy managers can avoid him in Week 16.

The six targets Musgrave saw on Sunday set a new season high, as did his 52 receiving yards. Musgrave’s production saw a nice boost, thanks in part to a 26-yard reception on the Packers’ second drive of the game. Sunday’s game against the Broncos marked the first time this season that Musgrave has surpassed 34 receiving yards. He can be left on waivers for Week 16’s game against the Bears.

Reed’s 55 receiving yards tied with Matthew Golden for the team-high on Sunday. The third-year receiver also led the way with six targets, with his longest play coming on a 29-yard catch in the second quarter on a drive that ended with a Josh Jacobs touchdown. Reed has now caught nine passes for 86 scoreless yards since returning from a broken collarbone in Week 14. With Christian Watson (chest) at risk of missing Week 16’s game against the Bears, Reed could have a big enough role to make for a reliable FLEX play next week.

Jacobs was reportedly on a “pitch count” entering Sunday, but the Packers’ RB1 ended up handling 12 of the Packers’ 16 running back carries. Jacobs put the Packers on the board with a highlight reel catch in the second quarter when he hauled in a contested target over LB Dre Greenlaw in the end zone for the 14-yard score. Then, following a 25-yard DPI penalty by Riley Moss in the third quarter on third-and-four, Jacobs broke free for a 40-yard rushing score to give the Packers a 23-14 lead. He remained involved throughout the day, but with two drives cut short by turnovers and another ending after six plays, there was little opportunity for Jacobs to do much in the second half. Assuming he doesn’t suffer any setbacks this week, Jacobs will be on the RB1 radar in Week 16 against the Bears.

Love led the Packers to points on every possession in the first half. Three of those drives ended with field goals; their lone touchdown came on a beautifully thrown ball to Josh Jacobs in the end zone, who hauled in a contested catch to give the Packers a 13-7 lead. The Packers found the end zone again on the opening drive of the third quarter, thanks in part to a DPI call on Riley Moss on third-and-four to keep the drive alive. Josh Jacobs would run in a 40-yard touchdown on the following play, but the wheels fell off for Love and the Packers after that. On the Packers’ next possession, Love was picked off by Patrick Surtain II on a deep pass to Christian Watson, and threw his second pick of the day to Moss two drives later on a pass that bounced off Dontayvion Wicks’ hands. Love and the Packers now head to Chicago for a Week 16 matchup against the Bears. Fantasy managers shouldn’t view him as anything more than a high-end QB2 next week.

Parsons’ season would be over if that is indeed the case. He will undergo further testing soon. Per PFF’s initial statistical Week 15, post-game tally, Parsons totaled 19 tackles, 79 quarterback pressures and 14 sacks in his first season as a Packer. He is under contract through 2029, having signed a four-year, $186 million contract extension this offseason.

This doesn’t come as much of a surprise given the nature of the injury. Parsons suffered a left-knee injury while attempting to change direction in pursuit of Bo Nix and remained down for several minutes after the play. It had the appearance of a serious injury, but we’ll likely get an official word on things within the next 24 hours.