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Travon Walker, running back? The Jacksonville Jaguars DE looked the part with fumble return
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- Travon Walker, running back? The Jacksonville Jaguars DE looked the part with fumble return
Were it not for Saquon Barkley 's other-worldy backward leap over Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones, defensive end Travon Walker's scoop-and-score of a fumble for a 35-yard touchdown last Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles might have been one of the top highlights of the NFL's week nine.
It also would have helped if the Jaguars had won at Lincoln Financial Field, but they fell 28-23, their fifth loss this season by five or fewer points.
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Walker's first career NFL defensive touchdown and the first for the Jaguars on a fumble return since Josh Hines-Allen's TD to beat the Tennessee Titans and clinch the AFC South title on the final week of the 2022 season, instead is a footnote to another heartbreaking Jaguars loss.
Jaguars teammates, Pederson raved about Walker's run
But don't think his teammates and coach Doug Pederson aren't appreciative of the play, in which Walker had the deftness of hand to pick up Barkley's fumble, then embark on a weaving, twisting run in which he showed elusiveness, speed, brute strength and the awareness to follow his blockers, down to the final one thrown by Jones on Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts .
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"I should have pancaked him," Jones said.
"Heck of a play ... heck of a play," Pederson said. "Great awareness, wanting to get on that ball, which is something our defense preaches a lot when balls are on the ground like that. Broke a few tackles, got a nice block down the field and got into the endzone."
"That was a very impressive play," said Jagaurs tight end Evan Engram . "The Elusiveness, the cut at the end ... a monster."
Jones said he's developed a healthy appreciation for the athleticism of the 6-foot-5, 272-pound Walker.
But that play took Jones' respect for Walker to another level.
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"I knew he had athletic traits," Jones said. "But I didn't know he'd get in. He showed everything. The athleticism just took over."
And linebacker Ventrell Miller spoke for a lot of players when he said, "That was Anger Man running ... we need to get him the baton."
Indeed ... with the difficulties the Jaguars have had in the red zone and on short-yardage plays, why not line Walker up in the backfield and dare defenses to try to tackle "Anger Man?"
Walker won 'rock-paper-scissors' vs. Josh Hines-Allen
Walker and Hines-Allen revealed in the locker room Wednesday that they engaged in a game of "rock-paper-scissors" to see who would be on the field for that play since it was a formation with Arik Armstead at one end and the other two rotating.
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"Right before we went out we do rock-paper-scissors," Hines-Allen said. "He beat me two out of three."
Walker won the decisive game with rock to Hines-Allen's scissors and was on the field for the first-down run by Barkley.
That left Hines-Allen as a spectator to the team's first defensive score since Foye Olukun's interception return against New Orleans last year. Hines-Allen said when Walker picked up the fumble and started to run, he heard teammates encouraging Walker to "get down."
"I said, 'shut up ... go score,'" Hines-Allen said. "I love when he makes plays, just like he loves when I make plays."
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Ryan Nielsen said players aren't deciding on their own to go in
Defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen said Walker and Hines-Allen were having a playful moment on the sideline and said Walker was due to get the first snap of that drive anyway.
"It's the rotation," Nielsen said. "Arik was up, Travon was in there and Josh was the next guy. That's kind of how we rotate."
When asked what would have happened if Hines-Allen had won the rock-paper-scissors, Nielsen said, "I believe Travon would not have let him run on the field."
So Jaguars players aren't deciding who goes in based on a kids game?
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"I don't think the other player who's supposed to be on the field would let him go on the field," Nielsen said.
Will Travon Walker play offense?
Okay, so what about getting time at running back?
If Pederson has been contemplating it, or might in the future, he's certainly not going to tip his hand. He merely said, of Walker's running ability, "it looked pretty good."
Walker played some running back and tight end for Upson-Lee High School in Thomaston, Ga., but he couldn't remember any stats or big plays. He did recall one college offering him a scholarship to play tight end.
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"I'm pretty sure I could have went and played tight end somewhere," he said. "The [Georgia defensive] players always have a little joking, a conversation with the offensive coordinator, receiver coach ... we mentioned it, never got around to it."
At this point, Walker is content with doing his job on defense.
"I just want to get some wins first, then we can start having a little extra fun," Walker said. "Everybody's saying the same thing in the building ... you could have played running back, this and that. I'm trying to do whatever it takes just to help put my team in position to come back and be able to win."
Travon Walker enjoyed stopping the Shove
Walker took more satisfaction in helping the defense stifle the Eagles' famous "Brotherly Shove" formation in which Hurts gets behind his huge line and then gets a push from a running back and tight end behind him. Philadelphia converted 11 of 15 fourth-down attempts entering the game but the Jaguars stopped them twice on fourth down and stymied the Shove on a pair of two-point conversion attempts.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is stopped by the Jacksonville Jaguars defense on a two-point conversion attempt on Nov. 4 at Lincoln Financial Field.
"That was very demoralizing for them once we did it," Walker said. "Very demoralizing as an offense. We put a little more emphasis on that play throughout the week and we came out and executed."
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But at this point in a lost season, what's there to lose?
Imagine using Walker on fourth-and-goal at the 1, dragging him under the second level of the defense as a tight end, or simply as a blocking back.
The Eagles didn't stop him or catch him on his fumble return. Perhaps other teams might have the same difficulty if Walker is toting the rock.
"We might need to put a little package in there for him," Engram admitted.
This story was updated to add information.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars DE Travon Walker showed solid running back skills
