Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner has played in too many games and seen too many quarterbacks to know that lesser-known talent can still deliver in big moments. Though it’s hardly been pretty over the past two games, Cleveland Browns quarterback P.J. Walker has been able to do just enough in relief of the injured Deshaun Watson to quarterback his team to two potential season-changing wins.
Cleveland (4-2) now brings its talented defense and Walker to Lumen Field on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks (4-2), and Wagner knows that the Browns backup could be the reason Cleveland will make things tough at home. “If you watch that 49ers game, he was one of the reasons why they won that game,” Wagner said of Walker on Wednesday. “One of the reasons why they won that game was his decision making, the ability to use his feet. He’s a guy that you have to respect.”
The stats have yet to pop on Walker’s end, but the numbers are easy to forget thanks to a pair of wins. Cleveland pulled off a 19-17 upset win over the San Francisco 49ers on Oct. 15 and rallied late against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday in a 39-38 thriller.
In those two games, Walker has gone 33 of 66 passing for 370 yards, no touchdowns and three picks. He’s rushed just six times for four yards. Despite Walker’s average-at-best play on paper, he’s helped lead timely scoring drives and made some key plays at the right time. He might even be getting the bad end of the deal on Sunday against a rising Seahawks defense that likely owes him a steak dinner after he helped lead the Browns over the rival Niners. But of course, Seattle’s much-improved defense will hardly be trying to make friends with Walker in a game that’s a true toss-up despite what some might think.
“The more reps he gets, the more time he plays, you just see him getting better and better and growing,” Wagner said. “We have to make sure that stops with us but then can continue after we stop playing them.”
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