Evan Williams delivered the late defensive jolt Green Bay needed Sunday, recording his first NFL sack on the final Tampa Bay possession to help seal a 17-14 Packers victory.
The second-year safety also intercepted a pass in the opening quarter, finished with seven tackles, two quarterback hits and two pass breakups, and became the Packers’ primary playmaker after linebacker Edgerrin Cooper exited in the second half with an Achilles injury believed likely to end his season.
Williams closes out Tampa Bay
- Williams appeared to make his first interception of the season early in the game, but the initial ruling was an incompletion because he was believed to have landed out of bounds.
- The call was changed after review, giving Williams the fifth regular-season interception of his career. He had previously posted four picks across his first 32 NFL games.
- Cooper later left the game, and Isaiah McDuffie and Ty’Ron Hopper stepped in at linebacker.
- With Green Bay protecting a three-point lead on the last series, defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon dialed up pressure on each of Tampa Bay’s final three snaps and sent Williams on every blitz.
- Williams ran free for a sack of rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels on the first blitz. A quick throw produced only a short gain on the next snap, and Williams reached Daniels again on the final play as the quarterback threw the ball away while being wrapped up.
The final sequence gave Green Bay a needed result and pushed its record to 2-2. It also offered an early indication of how the Packers could adapt following Cooper’s injury.
Green Bay still has veteran leaders in linebacker Zaire Franklin and safety Xavier McKinney, while edge rusher Micah Parsons is expected back eventually. But Cooper and Williams were two emerging defenders from the 2024 draft class, making Cooper’s absence a significant blow.
More responsibility for a versatile safety
Williams entered Sunday with only two pressures over his first two NFL seasons. His two pressures in the closing drive brought his total to six this season, reflecting both greater opportunity and a potentially larger assignment within the defense.
Gannon may not use Williams as a rusher as often as Cooper was deployed from linebacker, but the safety was entrusted with the biggest defensive calls against Tampa Bay. Williams said that confidence from the coaching staff mattered greatly.
“He emphasizes players over plays in the biggest moments,” Williams said. “When a coach puts your number in the call when a play has to be made, that trust means everything to me going forward.”
McKinney praised the performance and said Williams has made substantial progress since arriving in Green Bay. The veteran safety pointed to Williams’ maturity, position flexibility and continued upward trajectory.
“He has the ability to become a really good player,” McKinney said. “He is versatile, he can handle different roles, and I expect him to keep developing. I want to help make sure he reaches the level he is capable of in this league.”
Tight end Tucker Kraft, who regularly faces Williams in practice, said the defensive back has already delivered in important spots this season, whether breaking up deep passes or fitting against the run.
“He brings physicality and he finds the football,” Kraft said. “A player with that kind of range can solve a lot of problems for a team.”
Replacing Cooper without forcing plays
Williams said the Packers cannot allow Cooper’s injury to lead defenders into abandoning their assignments in an attempt to replace one player’s production.
“When players feel they need to do someone else’s job, that is when gaps open up and explosive plays happen,” Williams said. “The answer is handling your responsibility and trusting the player beside you. It will not be Coop, but I trust everyone in this locker room. We put in the work during training camp, and whoever is in there, we will support him.”
Williams felt signs during practice that opportunities might arrive against Tampa Bay. He said the ball had come his way multiple times during the week, something he viewed as a favorable signal heading into the game.
He did not, however, keep the football from his first pick of the season. Williams tossed it toward the ball boy after the sideline official ruled the catch incomplete. A challenge flag came out, and the ruling switched to an interception shortly afterward.
Williams said he went to celebrate in the end zone before realizing moments later that he had given away the ball. He would still like it back.
