Quay Walker had a free run at Caleb Williams, but he hesitated.
The Chicago Bears faced a fourth-and-2 from the Green Bay Packers’ 23-yard line with a 10-7 lead early in the third quarter two weeks ago. Walker, Green Bay’s No. 1 linebacker, started attacking the empty B-gap but, for some reason, stopped before getting to Chicago’s quarterback.
Walker’s hesitation allowed Williams to hit running back Roschon Johnson for 8 yards and a first down. The Bears finished the drive with a field goal to take a 13-7 lead, though the Packers came back to win 20-19.
Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said the following week, “Quay should’ve just kept going.”
This season, Walker has drawn much ire from Packers fans for his lack of production. Green Bay drafted the fast, physical linebacker out of Georgia with the first-round pick it got from the Las Vegas Raiders in the Davante Adams trade in 2022. He’s flashed in spurts throughout his career, but a player of his physical skill set has left plenty to be desired.
The last two games, however, have been a different story. Coming off what Hafley called Walker’s best game of the season against the San Francisco 49ers last Sunday, the 24-year-old delivered another stellar performance against the Miami Dolphins as the Packers improved to 9-3 with a 30-17 win on Thursday night.
If Walker continues this ascension, Green Bay will unlock a vital piece of its Super Bowl pursuit.
“Quay’s been playing his best ball,” head coach Matt LaFleur said after the game Thursday. “I don’t think anybody would dispute that. He’s got a better feel for what we’re asking him to do. … You saw it not only in the run game with Quay, but when we’re bringing him on blitzes, he’s extremely effective at setting some picks and then getting pressure on the quarterback himself. Really happy with where he’s at and he’s a resilient dude and he’s very, very critical of himself and he’s hard on himself, and sometimes you’ve got to help pick him up because he’s a really talented football player and I think his best ball is in front of him.”
GO DEEPER
Packers defense stifles Dolphins, awaits heavyweight bout with Lions next week
Remember Walker’s costly hesitation against the Bears and compare it to his plays in the last two games. Against the 49ers, Hafley sent Walker on a simulated pressure (rushing four but replacing a defensive lineman with a linebacker or defensive back) through the A-gap. Walker muscled his way through the center and right guard and pressured quarterback Brandon Allen while defensive end Rashan Gary finished off the sack to force a punt.
Against the Dolphins on Thursday, Hafley sent Walker on another simulated pressure through the A-gap late in the fourth quarter. Walker occupied right guard Liam Eichenberg while getting pressure, forcing quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to slide right into a sack for defensive tackle Kenny Clark.
That’s the version of Walker that Green Bay needs, one who trusts his instincts, doesn’t hesitate and relies on his speed and power to wreak havoc.
“I think I just do too much thinking,” Walker said after the game Thursday. “Any time I have that mindset — see it, go — I can be a real, real productive player. I don’t want to give myself too much credit, but that’s how I see it.”
That was the case on Miami’s fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line in the fourth quarter. With the Packers leading by 16 but the Dolphins threatening to cut their deficit to one score, Green Bay needed a play to seize momentum back. Walker was the deepest player on the defense before the snap and even waited about two seconds before charging. Once he did, he benefited from defensive tackle T.J. Slaton collapsing the pocket and sacked Tagovailoa for a turnover on downs.
“I don’t want to give away too much and say too much, but just saw daylight and went, and that was it pretty much,” Walker said.
Quay Walker: “Don’t do no thinking. Just play. Whenever I see it, just go.” pic.twitter.com/h7BzLnsh3n
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) November 29, 2024
Sometimes, it’s that simple. See and go. But as the middle linebacker in charge of relaying play calls from Hafley to the rest of the defense and diagnosing things pre-snap, sometimes not overthinking is easier said than done.
“Just being more calm, man,” Walker said of striking that balance. “Just having better awareness pre-snap, stuff like that. Whenever I just be calm instead of just trying to think — like I said, I’m an overthinker. I just think too much. So that’s it, man. Just give myself a break, too. You know what I’m saying? Give myself a little grace. We’ll go from there. Like I said, I don’t want to do too much because I’ve played better the past two weeks. Just want to stay humble and just see where I can go from here.”
As LaFleur mentioned, Walker is extremely hard on himself, so perhaps not beating himself up so much will help him play with a clearer head.
“I’ve been trying to, but I don’t know how to do that yet,” Walker said of giving himself grace. “I don’t know how to do that yet. I’m trying to get to that point, but I don’t know how to do it yet.”
After beating the 49ers, Hafley said of Walker: “I was really proud of him. It was really cool to see because I think if you ask Quay, the week before, I think he would tell you he didn’t play his best game, right? … In practice, it was like he was on a mission last week, and then he went out and played like that. He was fast, he was getting downhill, he tackled well. He played with great fundamentals, he was using his hands, he had a couple TFLs (tackles for loss). You know the ball on those tosses that they were trying to get out on the perimeter like the Bears did the week before, I mean, he was just getting there, beating people to the punch. He was knocking guys back, he was setting the edge, he was really good in pass coverage (minus his dropped interception).
“I think that’s the best game he’s played, at least since we’ve been together, and I hope he can build off of that.”
And build off that Walker did against the Dolphins, with another jump needed next Thursday night to help take down the mighty Detroit Lions.
It’s not just on blitzes that Walker has been more effective, though, as Hafley said. Whether it was an impressive TFL against the run on the edge of Christian McCaffrey, a stonewalling of De’Von Achane up the gut for no gain (the play was negated due to a hold) or a pass breakup on Miami’s late two-point try while covering running back Raheem Mostert on an angle route, Walker’s full repertoire that has largely stayed hidden this season is now on display.
It’s not far-fetched to say Walker is the X-factor to Green Bay’s championship aspirations. If he can simplify the action in his head, see and go and continue showcasing the traits that made him a first-round pick just two years ago, those dreams of a Lombardi Trophy may be more reality than fantasy.
“I believe Quay’s the best middle linebacker in the league, in my opinion,” safety Xavier McKinney said. “I think he has so many different qualities that you don’t really see. He can cover well, he can tackle well, he do a lot of things, and obviously he’s still growing.
“He goes through different things because he got the mic (to relay play calls from the defensive coordinator to the team on the field) and that’s something that I completely understand because I had the mic when I was in New York for a time. I know how hard that s–t can be. So I understand him. I try to help him, just trying to call certain calls out and just try to make his job easier so he can go out there and play fast. But when he goes out there and plays fast, there ain’t a lot of people that can do what he can do.”
(Photo: Brooke Sutton / Getty Images)
