Following Sunday's games, only two players in the NFL have produced more receiving yards than Green Bay Packers receivers Christian Watson and Matthew Golden, who teamed up to create a historic performance in Sunday's 45-27 win over the New England Patriots.

Watson caught seven passes for 171 yards and a touchdown, while Golden finished with 10 catches on 10 targets for 164 yards and a touchdown.

After nine weeks, Watson ranks third in the NFL with 879 receiving yards, trailing only Jaxon Smith-Njigba (1,036) and CeeDee Lamb (904). Golden ranks fourth with 783.

Both Watson and Golden set new career highs for receiving yards in a game, and they became the first pair of wide receivers in team history and the first in the NFL since 2023 to each produce at least 150 receiving yards and a touchdown in a single game.

Golden started fast, producing 126 receiving yards in the first quarter -- the most by a Packer since Antonio Freeman's 129 receiving yards in the first quarter of a win over Tennessee in 1998. Watson heated up from there, catching passes of 43 yards, 28 yards, 33 yards and 39 yards between the second and third quarters. The 39-yard touchdown pass from Love to Watson late in the third quarter put the Packers up 42-14 and essentially ended the game. Green Bay's 45 points -- fueled largely by an avalanche of explosive plays and takeaways -- sit alone as the most scored by an opponent at Gillette Stadium, which opened in 2002.

After Sunday, Watson and Golden both lead the NFL in catches of at least 40 yards with five each. Watson leads the NFL in catches of 20 or more yards with 17, while Golden is tied for fourth with 14. Watson is also tied for second in touchdown catches with seven, while only five players have more than Golden's five receiving scores.

Yards per route run -- a measure of efficiency and opportunity -- has become something of a gold standard stat for receivers. Watson is second in the NFL, trailing only Smith-Njigba, at 2.98 yards per route run. Golden ranks ninth at 2.45. Anything over 2.0 is considered very good.

Watson (15.3) and Golden (14.5) also rank first and third in average depth of target among receivers with at least 50 targets, respectively, and Watson is third in passer rating when targeted (130.5).

There has never been a doubt in the individual talent inside Watson, a 2022 second-round pick, and Golden, a 2025 first-round pick. Those outside the sphere of fantasy football always saw two special football players. But even the most optimistic of prognostications for Watson and Golden entering 2026 couldn't have foreseen this. Playing with the NFL's most ambitious big-play hunting quarterback, and in a vertical-based offense that has become so reliant on the passing game, Watson and Golden have blossomed into true stars at the wide receiver position. Welcome to the intersection of talent and opportunity.