After an All-Pro season in 2022 as a return man, Green Bay Packers Kiesean Nixon has had fewer opportunities to make that big play this season.
Despite not taking on the kick return duties until Week 6 of last season, Nixon still led the NFL in return yards and was the only player to total over 1,000. His 28.8 yards per return was the fifth-best in football, and Nixon was one of only four players to find the end zone.
Even from the Packers’ perspective, Nixon’s performance in 2022 came out of nowhere, to a degree. But now every team knows who he is, and opponents are doing their best to avoid him while they can.
“We knew going into the season that it was going to be difficult to get some clean looks as we did last year,” said special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia on Thursday. “As you can tell, earlier in the year, we made some decisions to take it out, probably too deep to some degree, and makes it problematic for those guys to hold the blocks for that long.”
In an effort to provide the team with a spark, Nixon was taking the ball out of the end zone from quite deep during the first few weeks. However, due to the difficulty that comes with holding blocks that long and a litany of special teams penalties early on in the season, the Packers were frequently starting with the ball inside their own 20-yard line, which spelled doom for an offense struggling to move the ball and tilted the field position battle in favor of Green Bay’s opponent.
Over the Packers’ last two games, however, Nixon hasn’t had any return opportunities, with Las Vegas and Denver sailing the ball out of the back of the end zone on kickoffs.
“It hasn’t really been cold yet,” said Nixon on Thursday, “so everybody is trying to kick it as far as they can out of the end zone. But the good thing about playing at Lambeau is that isn’t going to be an option. Frustration, yeah, but you can’t do nothing about it. I’ll just be mad about it, yell, and be good by the next play.”
Although Nixon ranks second in kick return attempts in the NFL, these haven’t been the same quality opportunities he’s had in the past, with many of his attempts beginning in the back half of the end zone. He’s done his best to make the most out of what he’s had to work with.
Nixon currently ranks second in total kick return yards and is averaging 25.0 yards per return this season, which ranks ninth in the NFL. However, that average figure does include end zone yardage, so in terms of starting field position for the Packers, they — on average — aren’t even beginning at where a touchback would put them.
Especially at Lambeau Field, as the weather continues to turn, there should be more opportunities for Nixon, with the ball typically not traveling as far in the cold. The weather on Sunday against Minnesota is predicted to be a crisp 41 degrees, with the Vikings allowing the 10th-highest yards per return average on kickoffs. Also, for what it’s worth, Nixon’s touchdown last season came against the Vikings.
Not all that different from this time a year ago, the Packers offense was struggling, and Nixon ended up being a factor in giving that unit a mid-season boost with improved starting field position and an overall shot of energy with his big play ability. Nixon once again has the potential to make that kind of impact, but it starts with the opponent giving him additional opportunities that don’t begin in the back of the end zone.
”I hope it drops at the goal line every time, and then they’ve got to see me,” said Nixon. “Right now, nobody wants to see me, trying to kick it as far out as they can. But it’s getting cold. It’s raining. Looking kind of good now.”