When putting together their original game plan for the Houston Texans in Week 7, the Green Bay Packers hadn’t planned on playing Eric Wilson at Mike linebacker. Those plans changed after Quay Walker exited the game early in the second quarter with a concussion.
Wilson ended up playing a season-high 57 snaps on defense and proved to be a key ingredient in the team’s come-from-behind win in the second half.
More often than not, the eighth-year linebacker was in the right place at the right time, finishing with six tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks, and a pass breakup.
“Big time credit to Eric Wilson,” Matt LaFleur said postgame.
“He made some big-time plays… I can’t say enough great things about him. He is the consummate pro in terms of just always knowing what to do and then being able to, when called upon, go out there and deliver. I’m really proud of him, and we’re lucky to have a guy like that on our team.”
Wilson is exactly what you want in a backup linebacker. Someone who can step up at a moment’s notice and you can play winning football with. He certainly did that on Sunday and will be the subject of this week’s film room as we break down some of his key plays.
Let’s begin.
Wilson (#45) did a great job reading and reacting to this halfback screen on 2nd and 10. Green Bay was getting a good amount of pressure on CJ Stroud, so the Texans decided to release their center and guard to set up a screen for Joe Mixon and possibly pick up a chunk play. However, Wilson already beat them to the spot, thanks to his quick processing and angle to the ball. This savvy veteran play put Houston into a third and long and eventually led to them settling for a field goal.
As an NFL journeyman, Wilson has been asked to wear some different hats, which has helped him develop a unique skill set. Here, the Packers send him on a blitz in a mug front with the one linebacker bluffing before dropping into coverage. Wilson continues to rush the passer, though, and is utilized as the penetrator on a stunt with defensive tackle Kenny Clark. The center picks up Clark, but the guard isn’t able to block Wilson, allowing him to get a clear path to the quarterback.
Here, Green Bay is once again running a mug front, but this time, Wilson is also bluffing and drops into coverage. While dropping back, he immediately keys in on the tight end who is running into his area. Wilson does a good job shuffling his feet, getting eyes on the quarterback, and then breaking on the ball to force an incompletion. Overall, it is an excellent rep by Wilson, who has shown he can hold his own in coverage.
Is this really another double A gap mug front? Yes, it is. But this time, both linebackers are blitzing and running a stunt. Edgerrin Cooper is the penetrator, while Wilson is the looper. Cooper does a good job of pinning the center to get Wilson free. The running back tries to identify where the pressure is coming from, but the stunt confuses him. He is too late to recognize Wilson, who gets another free rush at Stroud.
Conclusion
Wilson deserves his flowers for Sunday’s performance. Being asked to wear the communication headset and then making some crucial plays in a win over a tough team isn’t easy. Wilson has made a name for himself as an ace on special teams, but clearly, he is more than that. In the second game of the season, he had a forced fumble and an interception in a narrow win over the Indianapolis Colts. Making the most of another opportunity, he managed to one-up that performance in Week 7. Wilson has proven to be a great depth piece, but on Sunday, he showed that maybe he is due for a larger role.