{"id":565852,"date":"2025-11-30T16:20:21","date_gmt":"2025-11-30T16:20:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/565852\/"},"modified":"2025-11-30T16:20:21","modified_gmt":"2025-11-30T16:20:21","slug":"evan-williams-turns-every-run-play-into-a-chase-through-the-upside-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/565852\/","title":{"rendered":"Evan Williams Turns Every Run Play Into a Chase Through the Upside Down"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Green Bay Packers have had one of the best defenses against the run this season, ranking inside the top 10 in EPA\/rush<\/a>. They rarely allow wide-open gaps in the run game, whether offenses run between the tackles or to the outside.<\/p>\n

Still, even when an offense thinks it\u2019s found some daylight, it never lasts. It\u2019s like in Stranger Things<\/a> when the kids feel safe for a moment, and then Vecna<\/a> shows up and flips everything. That kind of sudden change has become part of this defense\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n

Green Bay\u2019s front seven has done a remarkable job of tightening everything up, refusing to give offenses any open gaps to exploit, whether it\u2019s between the tackles or bouncing runs outside. However, one of the best run defenders on the roster isn\u2019t a linebacker or a defensive lineman at all. It\u2019s a member of the secondary:\u00a0Evan Williams<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Williams has been streaking downhill like a force breaking through from the Upside Down<\/a>, flying in from the third level and blowing up runs at the line of scrimmage before they ever have a chance to develop.<\/p>\n

Evan Williams (#33) fricken loves defending the run pic.twitter.com\/BwAwWDnyv3<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) November 25, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

The clip above is a 96-second masterpiece of what Williams brings as a run defender, but there\u2019s one snap in particular that should be teaching tape across the NFL. Williams lined up deep next to Xavier McKinney<\/a> and came flying downhill to stop Saquon Barkley<\/a> in his tracks.<\/p>\n

The Philadelphia Eagles rolled out six offensive linemen and two tight ends on the play, but it didn\u2019t matter. Williams shot through the B-gap and wrapped Barkley up for no gain. Props to Williams for finishing the play, but credit also goes to Jeff Hafley for disguising the look and creating a clean lane for his safety to knife in and make the stop.<\/p>\n

Entering Week 13, Evan Williams ranked third on the Packers in run defense<\/a> grade and fourth in stops. He was also second on the team in tackles and assisted tackles. Across the league, Williams placed 18th in run-defense grade among 79 safeties with at least 100 run-defense snaps<\/a>, while ranking 10th in stops, which is a tackle that counts as a failure for the offense, meaning the defender brings down the ball carrier short of what the offense needed for a successful play.<\/p>\n

Williams\u2019 knack for wrecking run plays didn\u2019t emerge out of nowhere in 2025. He was just as disruptive and instinctive as a rookie last year. There\u2019s a great example on tape against the Los Angeles Rams, where he comes downhill and delivers a big hit on the receiver. He never loses track of the ball, closes with authority, and limits the play to minimal gain.<\/p>\n

Evan Williams is so good, man.
pic.twitter.com\/LkpnWZUwdl<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Felipe Reis Aceti (@Aceti_Felipe) October 11, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n

Williams\u2019 discipline with his eyes is elite. The Arizona Cardinals tried<\/a> to stress that with a read-option look, putting him on the edge and forcing him to make a decision in space. Kyler Murray<\/a> is one of the most agile quarterbacks in the league, and most defenders get caught guessing against him. Williams didn\u2019t. He stayed square, read the mesh, tracked the ball the entire way, and closed immediately. Murray had nowhere to go, and Williams brought him down before the play could even develop.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a long time since Green Bay has had a safety who plays with this kind of intensity. The Packers drafted Evan Williams in 2024, but he\u2019s already become one of the most reliable defenders on the roster. He leads the team in interceptions, and his commitment to stopping the run makes him even more valuable. He\u2019s quickly becoming the kind of all-around safety who can anchor the position in Green Bay for a long time.<\/p>\n

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