GREEN BAY, Wis. -- It looks like the Green Bay Packers will be without receiver Christian Watson for the start of the playoffs, and quarterback Jordan Love still has some healing to do in order to get the full feeling back in his throwing hand before his team opens the postseason against the second-seeded Philadelphia Eagles next weekend.
On the same drive in the second quarter of Sunday's 24-22 loss in the regular-season finale against the Chicago Bears, the Packers lost Watson to a right knee injury, and three plays later, Love sustained a right elbow injury.
Malik Willis finished the game in place of Love and finished 10-of-13 for 136 yards.
Watson was ruled out at the start of the third quarter after he was carted to the locker room.
"I'm not super confident about that right now," Packers coach Matt LaFleur said when asked about Watson's status.
Love was not ruled out but never returned to the game, although he was seen on the sideline throwing the football at various times during the second half.
While LaFleur said Love was "good to go back in," Love made it sound less certain.
Love said he landed on his right elbow and his throwing hand "pretty much just went numb."
"Same thing after halftime," he added. "I came back, was trying to get some throws and same thing. Kind of outside of my hand and pinkie, couldn't feel it, was pretty numb. We just made the decision to hold me back. Yeah. In the fourth later on, Malik had his hand [hurt] -- something happened there -- so wasn't sure if he was going to finish it out, so we were trying to get warmed up and throw."
When asked how it felt during his postgame news conference, Love said: "The same."
However, he did not hesitate when asked if he felt good about his chances to play against the Eagles, saying: "Yes."
"They said it should [go away]," Love said of the numbness. "They did. I'm not sure when, but it's feeling better."
The mood was dourer when it came to talking about Watson, the Packers' deep-threat receiver who went down while running a route.
It was a noncontact injury on a play in which the ball was thrown to Dontayvion Wicks on the other side of the field. Watson needed assistance to get off the field, and after being examined in the sideline medical tent, he was carted to the locker room.
"That's a tough one," Love said. "Obviously I'm not sure the exact circumstances, but just seeing it on the field, him going down noncontact like that, it's tough. It's really tough, especially Christian trying to bounce back from what he's been dealing with and to be able to go out there and have that happen, it's tough. I feel for Christian."
Watson had missed the previous game with a knee injury, but that was to his left knee.
LaFleur chose not to rest his starters in Week 18 -- although some, including running back Josh Jacobs' did not play in the second half. LaFleur may have held out Watson completely if receiver Romeo Doubs had not come down with an illness on the eve of the game and been inactive.
"Yeah, that had a lot to do with it, yep," LaFleur said.
The Packers will be the No. 7 seed in the NFC after the loss as the Washington Commanders defeated the Dallas Cowboys 23-19 to earn the sixth seed. The Packers still would have been the No. 7 seed even if they beat the Bears, but now they enter the playoffs on a two-game losing streak. Despite winning 11 games, they were just 1-5 in NFC North games this season.
"It is kind of the mindset of, it's a new season," Love said. "We're going into the playoffs. We've got to kind of flush the season and have a clean slate."