Evan Williams had one of the better games of his career in Week 4 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The third-year safety finished with seven combined tackles, one sack, one interception, two pass breakups, and two quarterback hits to help Green Bay secure a 17-14 win and get back to .500 on the season.
Williams received an overall grade of 85.3 from Pro Football Focus for his performance, his highest of the season and the third highest of his career.
The former Day 3 draft pick has grown into one of the team’s most reliable defensive players. Williams can line up at deep safety, play in the slot, or come up in the box if needed. In Sunday’s win, he flashed his versatile skill set on a first-quarter interception that required him to be matched
up with Tampa Bay’s top receiver Emeka Egbuka.
Here’s Williams explaining what he saw during the play:
“I knew I was probably hot just because they had a stack with two of their premiums. I think it was to the boundary, so I was on Egbuka, and he kind of gave me an inside stem, which is typically a sign for an over (route) or something going over the ball. But it didn’t seem like he was pushing too far away from me, so I kind of hung on his low hip. And sure enough, he—we call it ‘hang a left’—faded back out to run a seven (corner route).
“I was in a good spot, honestly. He (Egbuka) threw his hand up, if you go back, so I was just chasing ahead, trying to get in-phase. And by the time I looked for the ball, it was already on the way. Instincts take over at that point. You got to go get it.”
And for even better context, let’s break down the play using the All-22 film.
As you can see, Williams is in off coverage lined up over Egbuka. This is a tough ask for a safety given Egbuka’s route-running ability. As Williams described, Egbuka does stem inside like he’s going to run some type of in-breaker. Williams reads that Egbuka’s stem is more vertical than flat, indicating that he may not be running an over route.
Williams gets a little physical at the top of the route before turning to run when Egbuka clearly breaks toward the corner. Egbuka does raise his right hand to indicate he’s open, but Williams is only about a half-step behind him.
Meanwhile, the Packers’ five-man rush is breaking through, and three pass rushers are now bearing down on Jalon Daniels. The undrafted rookie quarterback only has to read one side of the field due to the play design, and it looks like he decides to target Egbuka when the wide receiver raises his hand.
However, it’s not a good decision. Williams’ speed allows him to undercut Egbuka and intercept the ball. The officials initially ruled it incomplete, but replay review confirmed Williams caught the ball with his right knee inbounds.
Thanks to Williams’ takeaway, Green Bay took a 7-0 lead on the ensuing offensive drive.
The interception was a great example of Williams’ versatility and instincts. He was asked to cover one of Tampa Bay’s best receivers one-on-one, diagnosed the route as it developed, and used his speed and ball skills to make a momentum-swinging play.
Those are the types of plays that have helped Williams establish himself as a difference-maker on Green Bay’s defense.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers film room: Evan Williams breaks down his INT in win over Buccaneers
