CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Mykal Walker may not get a ton of playing time for the Atlanta Falcons, but Sunday afternoon against the Carolina Panthers, he made his limited snaps at linebacker count in a big way.
Walker stepped in front of a Cam Newton pass intended for Ameer Abdullah in the middle of the field, while Newton was being blitzed, and picked off the pass. He then returned it 66 yards for a touchdown to give the Falcons a 14-7 lead midway through the second quarter.
It was a great read on the play by Walker, who has often been stuck behind Deion Jones and Foyesad Oluokun for playing time with Atlanta.
It was the second straight game a member of Atlanta's front seven made an interception return for a touchdown. Last week, defensive lineman Marlon Davidson returned a Tom Brady pass for a score.
First career interception? A PICK SIX 😏
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) December 12, 2021
📺: FOX | @MykalWalker3 pic.twitter.com/dvstICJm74
Falcons linebacker Mykal Walker returns a Cam Newton INT to the end zone for a 66-yd pick six.
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) December 12, 2021
Walker reached a top speed of 21.05 mph on the play, the fastest speed by a linebacker as a ball-carrier over the last five seasons (since 2017).#ATLvsCAR | #DirtyBirds pic.twitter.com/6CVmNKvpET