Packers make a meaningful leap from the previous Bears matchup with an underrated player back as a key part of the plan
Evan Williams did not play in Week 16, but he’s ready for the playoff game against the Bears.
Yes, Micah Parsons and Devonte Wyatt are out for the season. But that doesn’t mean the defense that was on the field in Week 16 against the Chicago Bears will be the same on Saturday in the wild card round of the playoffs. In that game on Dec. 20, safety Evan Williams was injured — and he’s been a huge part of what the Green Bay Packers are doing defensively.
“Evan’s made a ton of progress,” head coach Matt LaFleur said. “Every time he steps on the field, he does a lot of great things. He’s going to be a big player for us in this game. He’s one of the guys back there who has the capability of getting the ball out at any time. You saw it in our first game at home on the one they ruled incomplete, which I still don’t understand. He’s a ball hawk with a nose for the football. He’s really intelligent, can anticipate things, and it’s like having another coach on the field.”
What Evan Williams offers to the defense
In his second NFL season, Williams has been one of the best run defenders in football. His ability to attack gaps and supplement the defensive front has been a key to the defense, especially because the defensive linemen are not exactly famous run-stoppers.
“If you take a look at our defense throughout this year, I think Evan has been extremely consistent and played at a very high level game after game,” said defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. “We wish we had him out there for that game, but we didn’t. Another guy got some reps last week after getting injured in the game, and I know he’s excited for it. It’ll be his second crack in the playoffs, and I think he’s ready to roll.”
Throughout the regular season, the former fourth-round pick had two pressures, 23 stops, allowed an 85.1 passer rating when targeted, and had an 82.1 PFF run defense grade. The development and evolution from his first season is evident, even though he was already a promising rookie.
“The maturity, the knowledge, and the confidence stand out,” Hafley added. “You can see he’s starting to see the game. He plays it so fast and is really instinctual. He knows the calls and the defense and has a really good feel for what other teams are trying to do. He calls out a lot of plays. He studies down and distance and formation tendencies.”
Alongside Xavier McKinney and with Javon Bullard in the slot, the Packers are able to put on the field one of the best safety trios in the league — if not the best. With the three of them healthy, and Evan Williams in particular against a strong Chicago Bears’ rushing offense, Green Bay will be in a much better position to be successful in the postseason.
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