When creating their original game plan for the Houston Texans in Week 7, the Green Bay Packers did not plan to play Eric Wilson at the Mike linebacker position. Those plans changed after Quay Walker left the field early in the second quarter with a concussion.
Wilson finished with a season-high 57 defensive snaps and proved to be a key component of the team’s second-half come-from-behind victory.
More often than not, the eighth-year linebacker was in the right place at the right time, finishing the game with six tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks and a pass breakup.
“Huge credit to Eric Wilson,” Matt LaFleur said after the game.
“He played some critical roles… I can’t say enough great things about him. He is a total professional in that he always knows what to do and then when asked to go out there and give his all. I’m really proud of him and we’re content to have a guy like him on our team. “
Wilson is exactly what you want in a backup linebacker. Someone who can step up to the next level at any time and with whom you can play winning football. He certainly did that on Sunday and will be the talk of the film room this week as we discuss some of his key plays.
Let’s start.
Wilson (#45) did a great job of reading and reacting to the midfield screen on 2nd and 10. Green Bay put a lot of pressure on C.J. Stroud, so the Texans decided to release the center and guard to set up screens for Joe Mixon, who will likely take the play in chunks. However, Wilson has already beaten them with his quick processing and ball angle. Thanks to this intelligent play by the veterans, Houston took third-and-long, which ultimately led to them opting for a field goal.
As an NFL journeyman, Wilson was asked to wear a variety of hats, which helped him develop a unique skill set. Here, the Packers send him into a blitz while one of the defenders bluffs before diving into coverage. Wilson, however, continues to attack the passer and is used as a penetrator during a stunt with defensive tackle Kenny Clark. The center picks up Clark, but the guard is unable to block Wilson, allowing him to get a clear path to the quarterback.
Here Green Bay once again has the advantage, but this time Wilson also bluffs and loses coverage. As he moves back, he immediately turns on the tight end who runs into his area. Wilson does a good job of shuffling his feet, getting his eyes on the quarterback, and then punching the ball away to force an incompletion. Overall, it was an excellent performance from Wilson, who showed his ability to stay in sight.
Is this really another double A slot cup front? Yes it’s true. But this time both linebackers are attacking and performing acrobatics. Edgerrin Cooper is a penetrator and Wilson is a catcher. Cooper does a good job of pinning down the middle and freeing up Wilson. The runner tries to figure out where the pressure is coming from, but the stunt confuses him. It’s too behind schedule to recognize Wilson, who attacks Stroud again.
Application
Wilson deserves flowers for Sunday’s performance. Being asked to put on a communication headset and then make a few key plays in a winning game against a tough team is not simple. Wilson made a name for himself as a special teams ace, but he’s clearly more than that. In the second game of the season, he had a forced fumble and an interception, leading to a narrow victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Taking another opportunity, he managed to improve on that performance in Week 7. Wilson has proven to be an extremely deep player, but on Sunday he showed that he may be due for a bigger role.
