There were many elements of the Green Bay Packers’ offense operating at full power during the Sunday night showdown versus the Dallas Cowboys.

Jordan Love was amazing, completing 72 percent of his passes for 337 yards and three touchdowns. Seven Packers ended the game with three or more targets, including rookie Matthew Golden. However, he saw reduced usage throughout the game and failed to produce, in part due to conservative play-calling.

Golden seemed poised to break out Sunday night. After bringing in his first reception for 46 yards less than two minutes into the game, fans were expecting something of a legacy game that would showcase Golden’s abilities against a lackluster Cowboys defense. Instead, the rookie caught just two more passes before overtime, one of which he ran backwards for a loss of seven yards.

Packers need to put Matthew Golden in a better position to succeed

The first-round pick finished the game with 58 receiving yards (as well as a 5-yard rush), tying with Romeo Doubs. However, Doubs was the clear standout, bringing in all three of Green Bay’s receiving touchdowns and proving himself as Love’s number one option, at least while Christian Watson and Jayden Reed remain in recovery.

He also played 90 percent of offensive snaps, while Golden surprisingly played just 59 percent, acting as the WR3 behind Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks (77 percent of snaps).

What might have contributed to Golden’s underwhelming outing was the special teams, which became a point of conversation after a blocked extra point resulted in a three-point swing, as well as a few mishandled kickoffs, causing Green Bay to begin drives on the 20-yard line.

Despite the Packers’ receiver room being shorthanded thanks to some bad injury luck, Golden has been returning punts the last four weeks. Putting a first-round receiver, who the team is depending on even more with Reed and Watson out, in harm’s way to return punts feels like tempting fate, as defenders charge at full speed, aiming to knock the ball loose.

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His second punt return ended with a brutal hit, as the young receiver tried to spin out of danger. It was impressive that Golden managed to hang on to the ball after that hit, but it was clearly a shock to the system.

Golden’s production was basically non-existent following the hit, and Green Bay’s staff had Romeo Doubs returning punts for the rest of the game (who could be the second-worst choice for the job, given his importance).

Overtime gave Golden more opportunities. A 14-yard reception saved the team on 4th-and-6, while a busted screen play could have ended with a touchdown if the execution was cleaner.

It’s clear that the Packers want Golden to succeed, but with minimal opportunities and the unnecessary special teams usage, he has a long way to go. The bye week could provide the team with a chance to improve its aggressiveness and make the most of an explosive receiver like Golden.