Receiver Matthew Golden gaining confidence in the Packers’ offense
Green Bay Packers receiver Matthew Golden talks about his career day with 86 receiving yards on three receptions.
- Rookie Matthew Golden had a career-high 86 receiving yards in the Packers’ win over the Bengals.
- Golden made two crucial third-down catches for over 30 yards each, setting up scoring drives.
- Despite his key receptions, Golden is still seeking his first NFL touchdown five games into the season.
GREEN BAY – Matthew Golden showed something new as a rookie when he made two very different but very important 30-plus-yard receptions to help the Green Bay Packers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 27-18 on Oct. 12 to cap his career highs for receiving yards (86) and yards from scrimmage (102).
And he showed a little attitude in the postgame locker room that might make his coaches smile, too.
First, the catches:
∎ FOR 31 YARDS: On a third-and-8 in the fourth quarter and Green Bay leading 24-18, quarterback Jordan Love found Golden for a pivotal 31-yard catch on the left side of the field. Golden used top-end speed to break away from defenders immediately, with no hesitation.
“Definitely, getting the safety to back up a little bit,” Golden said. “I felt like he was over the top of me and so I broke my route off and Jordan gave me a good ball.”
It was something the Packers practiced — a scramble play — just days earlier.
“Having that mindset that if things do go off schedule, you’ve got to be ready,” Golden said. “You’ve got to make a move fast. Jordan had a big emphasis on that.”
Green Bay scored a field goal on that drive to secure their third win of the season.
∎ FOR 35 YARDS: On a third-and-10 in the second quarter, Golden was covered well by Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt. Still, sensing Love’s timing, Golden beat the coverage just enough to grab the pass that he said Love placed perfectly on his outside shoulder.
It was a different kind of catch, with focus and grit, but Golden still came up big.
“Just having that mindset to make the catch,” Golden said. “For me, if the ball is anywhere I can catch it — I’m going to make the play. Jordan gave me a good ball and all I had to do is come down with it.”
The Packers scored a touchdown by Josh Jacobs later in that drive.
Those catches — and the reverse-like run from scrimmage — mean a few things for Golden, who is on a steady and not super fast progression with Green Bay.
One, Golden is still awaiting his first NFL touchdown. In five games now, he’s yet to reach the end zone. And it’s a bit rare to let a guy develop a little bit first, but the Packers want to do that.
“I know everybody wants us to force-feed guys the ball, but it’s really not how we’ve done it around here,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “And I don’t plan on changing that. So, you know, that’s the beauty of having a lot of guys that we have a lot of confidence in, where we have confidence that we can put anybody in the situation and try to have plays off of plays. And a lot of it is dictated off of coverages, however teams are playing us, and the quarterback’s role is just to make sure the ball is going to the right place based on what the defense presents, and whoever gets those catches, they get them.”
That’s a bit aggravating to Golden, the goose egg line on TDs, and maybe that is too strong of a word, but the 3-1-1 record is more important to him.
“Obviously, you want to get into the end zone — but there’s nothing better than winning,” Golden said. “For me, I can’t — that’s like a selfish thing, just saying I want to get in the end zone. If we’re winning, that’s all that matters.
“I know it’s going to come and when it do, it’s going to be the right time.”
But more importantly, as his chemistry develops with Love — “I’m excited to play for a guy like that; he can put the ball anywhere, all I got to do is catch it” — its getting harder and harder for fans to maybe accept that Golden really wants to play in the return game as well.
Golden took a huge hit on a punt return at Dallas in Week 4.
The Packers are probably going to need a more dynamic, more explosive offense than the one on display against the Bengals, and more varied scoring threats, and their prize receiver is No. 1 on that list. The Love-Golden combination could be that spark plug that ignites the offense.
So do they keep him off of punt returns for the most part?
After six punt returns in the first four games, Golden had only one fair catch against the Bengals.
And he hears what is being said.
“Like — I shouldn’t be back there — because I’m first round,” Golden said. “It doesn’t matter. I’m an athlete. I can make plays. As long as I am back there, I know I can do something with the ball. I got that confidence.
“I want to be on punt return because I know what I can bring. I know what I can do with the ball in my hands.
“Obviously its not easy; I see a lot of people say stuff … Like, you come do my job then. You know? But I’ve got that confidence in myself. I know I am capable of anything. I love doing it.”
Golden had a big game and he still has things to work for, like his first NFL touchdown. Despite being a rookie, Golden insists he’s ready for as many chances he can get, and welcomes the Packers finding creative ways to get him the ball — even if it’s the most dangerous position on the field, punt returner.
“There can never be too much on my plate,” Golden said. “I got all that confidence in myself.”
