Aaron Jones, Christian Watson inactive for Packers-Falcons

The Packers will be without two of their most electric skill players against the Falcons on Sunday.

Running back Aaron Jones and wide receiver Christian Watson are both officially inactive with hamstring injuries.

Green Bay’s surprisingly efficient offense operated best when funneled through Jones during last week’s 38-20 victory over the Bears. The seventh-year pro had 11 touches for 107 yards and two scores. Jones pulled up in the end zone with an injured hamstring on the second of those touchdowns, a 35-yard reception, and did not return to the game.

He didn’t practice all week, and his absence means Jordan Love will need to find a new avenue to exploit Atlanta’s defense, which looks much improved from 2022.

AJ Dillon, who managed just 19 yards on 13 carries in Week 1, must be far better seeing even more volume. The combination of Emanuel Wilson and Patrick Taylor will likely spell him in an attempt to replicate Jones’ role of lightning to Dillon’s usual thunder.

In the passing game, Green Bay trots out a similar group to the one it had last week thanks to Watson missing his second straight contest.

The speedy wideout did log his first limited practice of the season on Friday, which provides a sliver of optimism for a potential return next week, but Sunday will be about tight end Luke Musgrave, Jayden Reed, Samori Toure and Romeo Doubs, who led the team in receptions while scoring twice in Love’s debut.

Love will also have to find those pass catchers without his usual blindside protector. Like Jones and Watson, left tackle David Bakhtiari will miss Sunday’s contest as he continues to manage his workload in the aftermath of his 2020 ACL tear.

Playing without all three is an even bigger test than the one Love faced to begin his journey as the Packers’ new starting quarterback.

He passed with flying colors, and he’ll look to somehow do the same against the Falcons when the two teams kick off at 1 p.m. ET.