The reunion of linebackers Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker went so well that they never left the field for the Las Vegas Raiders in Sunday’s season-opening win.
Walker and Dean both played 100 percent of the defensive snaps and gave the unit a big boost as they held the Miami Dolphins to 2-for-10 on third downs in a 27-13 victory in their first game together since they starred at Georgia.
“It’s been a minute,” Dean said. “About four years. But it felt great to be able to do that again.”
The level of play they delivered made the reunion all the more special.
Dean and Walker tied for the team lead with six tackles. Dean added a sack and a forced fumble while serving as the defensive playcaller.
But Walker and Dean have never measured themselves by stats or anyone else’s opinion, for that matter.
“We care so much more about just trying to live up to our standard,” Dean said. “That’s what matters to us. Because I feel like the standard we set for ourselves is higher than anyone can set for us.”
It’s a standard they set for each other when they were winning a national championship at Georgia.
Dean and Walker, along with returning cornerback and Georgia alum Eric Stokes who also played all 56 defensive snaps on Sunday, are hoping to help instill that level of play in the NFL now that they are all back together with the Raiders.
It was a good start, but Walker acknowledged it was just the beginning.
“I was pretty pleased with how we played as a group,” he said. “But I think we just played to our expectation and did what we were supposed to do. We got the win. Now it’s a new week, so we’re trying to focus on that. It’s a division game (against the Los Angeles Chargers) and that always means more.”
The defense will have a big role if the Raiders are going to have success this week and moving forward. Walker and Dean are obviously a big part of it.
They were brought in because the Raiders knew they must get better and more dynamic at the linebacker position.
“(Their athleticism) helps a lot,” defensive coordinator Rob Leonard said. “That’s why we got them. I’m happy they’re here, and speed helps. It’s a space game.”
Walker, 26, and Dean, 25, both signed three-year contracts and could form a lasting pair in the middle of the field for the Raiders over the next few years.
They certainly hope that will be the case.
Dean and Walker agreed to their deals with the Raiders on the first day of free agency and have had several months thinking about what it was actually going to be like to take the field together and with Stokes again.
“It felt pretty good to just look around and see them again,” Walker said. ‘It brought back memories.”
It helped that they played well.
Walker wasn’t surprised they were able to live up to their standard. But he also doesn’t want to do a victory lap after one game.
“It’s one thing to say it and another to actually do it,” he said. “So that’s what I want to do. Just keep my confidence high and go out, make plays and help put my teammates in positions to make plays. Then just go from there.”
While both linebackers are excited about how they fit together and into the scheme the Raiders are hoping to implement, they also believe in the way Leonard’s system can fit them.
“If nothing else, Robbie always talks about the style of play that matters the most,” Dean said. “The way we run to the ball. The way we tackle. The way we hit. The technique and style of play over scheme and everything.
“That’s what he wants from us and we’ll just keep honing in on that.”
They will also try to stay in the moment. Dean said that was the biggest lesson he learned as part of a Super Bowl team in Philadelphia. The best way to lift the trophy is to win every practice and every film session before even worrying about the game each week or celebrating the previous week’s performance.
“We don’t look too far ahead,” Dean said. “And we dang sure aren’t looking back.”
Walker did admit to looking forward to the return of one more former Georgia teammate.
Star tight end Brock Bowers missed the opener after undergoing a minor knee procedure and still has not practiced this week.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t have Brock,” Walker said. “That’s when we’ll have the full experience.”
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
