Packers first-round pick Devonte Wyatt played more in Miami when fellow defensive lineman Dean Lowry got hurt—and made an impact that directly led to victory.

It was reminiscent of the 2010 season, when veteran linebacker Nick Barnett went down and backup Desmond Bishop—who was bigger, faster, stronger, had better instincts than Barnett and didn't do a ridiculous celebration for making a simple tackle—came in and made plays that solidified the defense and won the Super Bowl. In fact, Bishop recovered a fumble in the Super Bowl that turned the game in the Packers’ favor.

Desmond Bishop on 4th quarter fumble recovery: "I'm gonna pick it up and run it and Ben Roethlisberger will never tackle me. I will quit football if I let Ben Roethlisberger tackle me."

Full 📽️: https://t.co/CiLzv4kITv 
Packers Super Bowl XLV oral history: https://t.co/vn2Ac6VI0G  pic.twitter.com/AV9TZ1UY9M 

— Olivia Reiner (@ReinerOlivia) February 19, 2021 

On the first drive in Miami, Lowry started:

First play, Lowry got double-teamed and Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert ran for 13 yards.


On another play, Lowry was wired to a block—the Dolphin blocker got under his pads, and Mostert ran for 17 yards. Lowry is solid and generally has been where the coaches asked. Unfortunately, on those plays Miami blockers made Lowry look like a dancing panda. 

Clearly, the Packers need to do better, and Wyatt did just that. That same first Dolphins drive, Wyatt came in, immediately got push into quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s face, forcing an incompletion and a field goal.

It’s an American pastime to second-guess our favorite teams’ coaches and, with their jobs on the line, one can hardly blame them for going with a veteran they can trust.

The coaches are like, "ain't I a reliable coach making sound decisions?!"





But playing Barnett and Lowry ahead of better players is like dancing into a mine shaft a la Yosemite Sam. 

Lowry sometimes played “half the blocker” well, but couldn’t get off the block or make one-armed tackles against Miami.

In stark contrast, Wyatt showed violent, active, strong hands and speed to run sideline to sideline—shades of Gilbert Brown in 1996 at his peak. He hustles, and it matters. With about 2:35 left in the second half, Wyatt made perhaps his best play of the year. He fought off a double team, pressured the quarterback into throwing a release to tight end Durham Smythe; but that wasn’t all—Wyatt then pivoted and ran down Smythe from behind to prevent a first down.





Whether it was out of respect or just luck of the draw, Wyatt drew several double teams from Miami, freeing Kenny Clark and Preston Smith to go one-on-one and win quickly.

On the play when the defensive line was Clark, Jarran Reed, and Wyatt, Reed beat his man, caused a fumble, and recovered it. While Wyatt didn't make the play, it did show what the trio could accomplish if put on the field together. 



FUMBLE!

Reed makes a big play. 💪#GBvsMIA  | #GoPackGo 

📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/2TIEp7p9ki 

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) December 25, 2022 




Need more proof? How about 3:20 to go in the third quarter, when Wyatt pushed past his man with a swim move, ripped underneath him with his inner arm, flushed the quarterback and forced an incompletion. The next play, he flushed Tua like he was running from a lion to the right, forcing the throw incomplete—and the Dolphins missed the field goal. Two plays, no points, forced by Wyatt.

This is not to say he’s a finished product. He occasionally turns and knives into the pocket with one shoulder, and this can make him susceptible to illegal blocks in the back. In the red zone, along the goal line, he took on the tackle and was victimized by a “wham” block from the tight end, allowing the touchdown by running back Jeff Wilson. That’ll happen to a young player, and he’ll learn from that tape to recognize and anticipate those.

Perhaps the ultimate play was the Packers’ defense’s last, when Wyatt drew two blockers, freeing Clark to beat his man like Neil Peart, forcing a fast throw by Tua right to cornerback Rasul Douglas, who had baited the throw: Interception, game over.



The season of giving. 🎁🎁🎁

Another INT for the #Packers !#GBvsMIA  | #GoPackGo 

📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/KjrBrwApR0 

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) December 25, 2022 




Packers fans can forgive the coaches for playing Ol Reliable Lowry to this point. Former Packers GM Ron Wolf probably would have demanded his talented draft pick play more by now. But that appears, at least from the outside, to not be current GM Brian Gutekunst’s style.

Nevertheless, Gutey and Packers fans would have every right to expect the coaches to play Wyatt plenty from here out.

Some might remember Bishop's pick 6 of Vikings quarterback Brett Favre at Lambeau. Now Wyatt could similarly spoil the Vikings’ new year. 

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