Paul Bretl | 10/6/2024
GREEN BAY, Wis. — It was a sloppy first half of football from the Packers, particularly on offense. The third quarter began with them trailing 10-13 and the Los Angeles Rams with the football, looking to make it a score advantage.
However, on that opening second-half possession, the tide in this game began to turn with a pair of takeaways by the Green Bay defense, and in the middle of it–not surprisingly–was safety Xavier McKinney.
“Super important,” said McKinney after the game of his interception. “I mean it’s super important ’cause we needed it. We got that pick and then we went down and scored. I should’ve had another one, so I’m kinda irritated about that, but like I’ve been saying, man, we’ll get back in the lab and continue to work and next week, hopefully the ones that I drop, I get next week.”
On an excellent punch out by defensive end JJ Enagbare, it was McKinney who recovered the fumble. Then, thanks to a 66-yard catch and run touchdown from Tucker Kraft, it only took the Packers two plays to score on the following possession to take the 17-13 lead.
The Rams would then get the ball back. After picking up two first downs, they faced a third-and-10 from the Packers 48 yard line. With help from a steady push from defensive tackle Karl Brooks, quarterback Matthew Stafford had time and lofted the ball deep down the left sideline for receiver TuTu Atwell, but there was McKinney providing help over the top and making a play on the football for the interception.
“It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” said Matt LaFleur after the game about McKinney’s play. “The guy just has a knack for the football, and he’s got great ball skills. He’s very instinctive and smart to allow him to anticipate to make plays. And then he generally makes the play. I’m sure there was one play in the second half that he would like to have back because he might have had another one right there. But certainly, he’s been obviously a very key pick up for us in free agency.”
Following that third-quarter interception, McKinney has now logged a pick in each of his first five games as a member of the Packers. In team history, no player has accomplished that feat and since the 1970 merger, McKinney is the only player in the NFL to accomplish this.
Putting McKinney in these positions regularly to make plays on the football is an elite combination of instincts and study habits that begins very early on in the week–sometimes before the coaches even have the film.
“He has great instincts and he can cover a lot of ground and his anticipation is so good,” said defensive backs coach Ryan Downard. “And obviously we teach that and we rep it and we try to keep that sharp, but when a guy has a feel for quarterback mechanics and his intentions, and I’ll say this, not to go on a tangent, but he’s very meticulous and he’s waiting for that quarterback tape to be sent each week.
“So he’s hitting my phone, ‘Hey, hey, hey, when we getting that?’ And so he studies, he pours into it, he invests into it, and so he’s able to withdraw some of that, too, when we get to Sunday. It’s awesome to watch.”
Obviously, the ball production is great, but McKinney’s impact goes well beyond the interceptions. His ability to line up deep, in the slot, or in the box, along with disguising pre-snap where he’s going to be, adds a layer of unpredictability to the Packers’ defense. It provides Jeff Hafely with added flexibility as he builds out the game-plan and doesn’t always allow for the offense to get a beat on where McKinney will be or what role he will have on a given play.
Along with the interceptions, that do-it-all skill set and what seems an ability to teleport around the football field with how quickly McKinney gets to the ball, he has totaled the fifth-most tackles on the team, and is essentially taking away entire zones for opposing quarterbacks to target.
According to PFF’s metrics, McKinney is being targeted once every 25.9 snaps–the fifth-best rate in football. He’s also allowing a reception on just one out of every 90.5 snaps, which is the best mark among safeties, and it’s not even close.
“He sees it so fast and he reacts so fast, like if you take your clicker and you’re watching the film,” said Hafley. “Like the thing that I always like to do is I always like to watch that wide copy when you can actually see the quarterback’s face, right, and when that quarterback hits his back step, is he going in that direction or is he still trying to hold you off?
“Like when you watch X and you freeze it and you watch it in really slow motion, he’s breaking before the hand is coming off the ball. Like that’s how well he anticipates stuff, so I would be a little bit worried throwing in the middle of the field if you were there. And then he’s got great hands and he can go up and track it and it’s not just ability because he studies it, too, now. That guy watches a lot of tape.”
Although McKinney is still just 24 years old himself, he’s the veteran leader and mentor in a young Packers’ safety room. Rookies Javon Bullard, Evan Williams, and Kitan Oladapo all pick McKinney’s brain and ask him questions.
“They’re looking to him for guidance and little tips here,” said Downard. “And the young guys, they open their eyes to, ‘Wow, I didn’t even think like that,’ and they get the player perspective from him. He’s starting to build credibility, and then combined with that, he’s a player on the field, so he’s making plays, which just doubles down on the fact that, ‘Maybe what this guy’s saying, he’s got some of it figured out.’ Certainly, he has developed a very strong voice on our defense and throughout our team,”
As Downard mentioned at the end, McKinney’s impact goes well beyond just the safety position. His reach extends throughout the defensive side of the football and locker room.
“I mean having X is really cool,” said Jaire Alexander earlier this season. “He’s a vet. He’s a leader already. Come in making big plays, what more can you ask for?”
To land McKinney in free agency, the Packers signed him to a four-year $67 million contract–a move that has been worth every penny and paid dividends just five games into his first season in a variety of ways.
McKinney is a force multiplier, there is not only the impact that he makes on the game, but his presence, both on and off the field makes everyone around him better.
“I think X right now he’s the best safety in the league,” Hafley said. “So, that’s how I feel about him.”