Tag: Xavier McKinney

Spencer Rattler’s ball security will be tested vs. NFL’s best ballhawk

Spencer Rattler’s decision-making and ball security will be tested by the NFL’s best ballhawk on Monday night:

Spencer Rattler is stepping into his fourth start as the New Orleans Saints quarterback. It’s his first start since Week 8, and as long as Derek Carr remains out, Rattler will be the Saints’ starting quarterback. That stretch begins against the Green Bay Packers.

In last week’s contest, Rattler relieved Jake Haener and put on an improved performance. One of the rookie’s most glaring problems in his first stint was his issues protecting the football. He threw two interceptions in his first three games and fumble three times, too. As the Saints close out the season, Rattler must ensure he protects the football and avoids putting it in dangerous spots.

Rattler’s decision making will be put to the test this week, as Xavier McKinney is on the other side of the field. The Packers safety has seven interceptions, the most in the league.

McKinney’s presence should remain on Rattler’s mind. Rattler is going to take shots down the field, and McKinney is going to be waiting for the opportunity to get his hands on the ball.

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Packers S Xavier McKinney is among vote leaders in early Pro Bowl fan voting

Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney is the leading Pro Bowl vote getter among free safeties in the NFC through one week of fan voting. 

Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney is the leading Pro Bowl vote getter among free safeties in the NFC through one week of fan voting.

McKinney, the NFC’s Defensive Player of the Month for October, is currently tied for the NFL lead with seven interceptions. He also has two other pass breakups, a fumble recovery and a third-down sack.

While McKinney is leading the way at safety, the Packers are not among the top five teams in Pro Bowl votes after one week. The Detroit Lions, at 11-1, lead all teams in votes.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is the leading vote getter so far. Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who will face McKinney and the Packers on Thursday night, is No. 5 in overall voting.

Josh Jacobs has the third-most votes among NFC running backs. Jayden Reed has the fifth-most votes among NFC wide receivers. Tucker Kraft has the sixth-most votes among NFC tight ends. Josh Myers has the third-most votes among NFC centers. Zach Tom has the sixth-most votes among NFC tackles. Elgton Jenkins has the fifth-most votes among NFC guards. Rashan Gary has the third-most votes among NFC edge rushers. Quay Walker has the third-most votes among NFC linebackers. Jaire Alexander has the second-most votes among NFC cornerbacks. Daniel Whelan has the third-most votes among NFC punters. Anderson has the third-most votes among NFC special teams players. Keisean Nixon has the fifth-most votes among NFC returners. Matt Orzech has the third-most votes among NFC long snappers.

Voting for the Pro Bowl consists of three parts: fans, players and coaches. Fan voting runs through Dec. 23. Players and coach vote on Dec. 27.

2025 NFL draft: Giants projected to receive 4th round compensatory pick

The New York Giants are currently projected a receive a fourth-round compensatory pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

It’s bad enough that the New York Giants (2-9) have become a laughing stock this season on the field. Now their front office, coaching staff, and ownership are taking on heavy fire as well.

The messy departure of Daniel Jones and the decisions to allow running back Saquon Barkley and safety Xavier McKinney leave via free agency are coming back to haunt them in major ways.

Jones leaves behind a king’s ransom in dead cap money ($22 million next year) and a legacy of losing that could take the team years to recover from. Depending on how things break and where Jones lands, the Giants could receive a compensatory draft pick for him.

It’s not all on Jones, naturally, but he was still their best hope at quarterback for the remaining seven games. Instead, they decided to have local folk hero Tommy DeVito take over ahead of backup Drew Lock. That decision has already cost them as DeVito was bounced around pretty good in their 30-7 drubbing last week against Tampa Bay at home.

McKinney was signed to a $67 million deal that appeared to be egregious at the time. He currently leads the NFL interceptions (7) and will get some All-Pro consideration.

The Giants backfilled McKinney’s loss by drafting Tyler Nubin, who looks like he could develop into a top safety in this league.

Based on the Over The Cap formula, the Giants are in line for a compensatory fourth-round selection.

It’s the Barkley situation that stings the most. Giants general manager Joe Schoen decided to not make Barkley a free agent offer, allowing the rival Philadelphia Eagles to scoop him up on Day 1 of free agency.

Barkley wanted to stay. He wanted to be a Giant his whole career. Team co-owner John Mara even told Schoen in a clip from HBO’s Hard Knocks that he would “have trouble sleeping” if Barkley ended up in Philly.

Now, Barkley is embarking on a historic season and is in the MVP conversation. He could also end up in the Super Bowl as the Eagles are off to a 9-2 start.

To add insult to injury, Barkley’s loss has been canceled out on the OTC chart. He factored in but not enough to earn a second compensatory pick.

The loss of Barkley is canceled out by the signing of guard Jon Runyan Jr. Schoen decided to prioritize the offense line again this offseason — a choice hailed by many — but his additions have not really had much of an impact on the offense.

Many have written and said that Barkley would not be thundering towards Canton had he stayed in New York. We agree. He would likely not have made much of a difference for this offense which cannot seem to get out of its own way.

The same of all of this is that the Giants are stuck in the mud (again) and going nowhere fast and Jones and Barkley — once the two faces of the franchise — are gone with with little to nothing to show for.

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John Mara’s nightmare: Giants flounder as ex-players thrive

The New York Giants are in complete disarray while the team leaders they’ve let walk in recent years are dominating with their new clubs.

The New York Giants (2-9) are hard to watch these days. From top to bottom, they seem like a rudderless franchise with no known direction.

No one is happy right now and almost every decision the team makes seems to backfire on them in an almost comical fashion.

The Saquon Barkley situation is just one of the personnel decisions that have come back to haunt the team. After the Giants were flattened by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home on Sunday, Barkley had a record-setting game on national television on Sunday night, leading the Philadelphia Eagles to a convincing 37-20 road win over the Los Angeles Rams.

Barkley racked up 302 yards of offense on Sunday, 57 more than the entire Giants offense could muster against Tampa’s 30th-ranked defense.

It was the latest dagger to the heart of Giants co-owner John Mara, who lobbied general manager Joe Schoen to try to find a way to keep Barkley in the fold.

Instead, the Giants let Barkley test the free-agent waters. He signed with the Eagles on the first day of free agency.

Ever since then, Barkley has played at an All-Pro level, leading the NFL in rushing, and could be on his way to not only another 2,000-total-yard season but a possible Super Bowl appearance as well.

The reality is, Barkley isn’t really missed that much by the Giants. They have proven that they can run the ball without him and have a glut of young offensive talent on their roster.  They just don’t know how to use them.

Barkley was adroitly signed by the Eagles as the last piece to their puzzle. With the Giants, Barkley would have been the first piece of the puzzle. Big difference. Schoen is trying to build from the inside out, not the other way around.

Schoen was right to pass on McKinney, who was signed to a four-year, $67 million deal by the Green Bay Packers. Many believed that was way too rich for a player who almost blew up his career with a foolish off-field injury several years ago.

The fact that McKinney leads the NFL in interceptions (7) while the Giants have just one as a team this season is irrelevant. The Giants replaced McKinney in the second round of the draft this year with Tyler Nubin.

As for Leonard Williams and Julian Love, I would say I was disappointed they let Love walk. He was a versatile and productive player that they probably should have kept.

Williams was also a productive player but the Giants paid a king’s ransom to both get — and keep — him. They had to shed themselves of his contract.

So, Schoen, in an effort to undo all of the damage his predecessor Dave Gettleman did, is getting pounded for doing what the fans hoped he would do.

It’s just not working out for him right now, that’s all. And the optics are quite poor, especially if Barkley and McKinney end up wining the Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year Awars.

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Giants tie ugly interception record as Xavier McKinney leads NFL

The New York Giants have tied an all-time NFL record in interception futility while former safety Xavier McKinney now leads the league.

The New York Giants have set many records over the past decade and almost none of them are good.

That trend continued on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when the Giants closed out the game sans an interception. It was the 10th straight game in which the defense failed to pick off the opposing quarterback, tying a modern NFL record dating back to 1933.

If that weren’t bad enough, there is some salt being added to the wound.

During a 38-10 romp over the San Francisco 49ers at Lambeau Field, Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney recorded his seventh interception, which is tied for the league lead (Kerby Joseph, Detroit Lions).

Like running back Saquon Barkley, the Giants let McKinney walk via free agency back in March despite his desire to return. Ultimately, general manager Joe Schoen didn’t see the value in McKinney, who signed a four-year, $68 million contract with the Packers.

Instead, the Giants went with returning safeties Jason Pinnock and Dane Belton, and second-round pick Tyler Nubin.

While Nubin has flashed and appears to be a foundational piece, he, Pinnock and Belton have combined for zero interceptions on the season. In fact, the Giants have recorded just one, which came courtesy of rookie linebacker Darius Muasau all the way back in a Week 1 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

The Giants will look to avoid setting the all-time NFL record for consecutive games without an interception on Thanksgiving Day against the Dallas Cowboys, who are primed to start Big Blue’s former backup, Cooper Rush.

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Turning point: Xavier McKinney takeaway leads to Packers blowout

The turning point play for the Packers in Sunday’s 38-10 win over the 49ers was Xavier McKinney’s interception.

Down 10 but gaining confidence to start the second half, the San Francisco 49ers faced a pivotal play: 3rd-and-8 from the Green Bay Packers’ 45-yard line with six minutes left in the third quarter.

The margins are so thin in the NFL, and the result of this particular play proved it. Backup quarterback Brandon Allen threw a catchable ball for Deebo Samuel, but the veteran receiver failed to make a contested catch against linebacker Isaiah McDuffie and safety Xavier McKinney caught the deflection for the turning point play of the Packers’ 38-10 win over the 49ers.

McKinney’s league-leading seventh interception set up the Packers inside the 49ers’ 30-yard line, and Josh Jacobs powered in a touchdown run three plays later to extend the lead to 24-7 and help set up a comfortable victory.

“That was critical,” coach Matt LaFleur said post-game.

It’s fair to wonder how the final 21 minutes would have played out had Samuel made the catch and extended the drive. The 49ers trailed 17-7 and were driving to cut the Packers’ lead to one score. Instead, the Packers took away the ball, stole all the momentum back and created a three-score lead going into the fourth quarter against a backup quarterback missing his future Hall of Fame left tackle.

From the interception on, the Packers outscored the 49ers 21-3.

Green Bay is now 8-3 this season, including a 5-3 mark when McKinney records an interception (three straight wins).

McKinney, who had an interception in each of his first five games, snapped a two-game streak without a pick. His last interception before Sunday was Oct. 27 in Jacksonville.

McKinney became the first Packers player with at least seven interceptions in a season since Charles Woodson in 2011 and the first safety since Nick Collins in 2008. He’s the 18th player in franchise history to get to seven interceptions in a season and just the fourth since 2000 (Woodson, Collins, Darren Sharper).

Packers’ Xavier McKinney questioning D.J. Moore’s character is just cruelly kicking the Bears while they’re down

Everything Xavier McKinney said is true because the Bears are hopeless.

Amid a catastrophic three-game losing streak, nothing is going well for the crumbling Chicago Bears right now. They haven’t scored a touchdown since before Halloween, head coach Matt Eberflus’ seat is hotter than ever, and there were questions about potentially benching No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams.

In other words, things couldn’t possibly be worse for a Bears team that looked like an NFC playoff dark horse just three weeks ago.

Enter Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney to kick the Bears while they’re down.

In an interview with The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman, McKinney took aim at Bears No. 1 receiver D.J. Moore’s questionable effort on a scramble drill play during a blowout loss to the Arizona Cardinals earlier this season. He didn’t appreciate Moore brushing him off in the offseason and saw fit to rip the Bears’ apparent No. 1 receiver for quitting in the middle of a play as the Packers get ready for Chicago this Sunday.

Honestly, is McKinney wrong? What are we doing here? I get the current NFL interception leader felt (rightfully) disrespected, but he says these kinds of things as if the Bears don’t have enough problems in themselves.

More from The Athletic:

“I hope so, but I don’t give a damn about what he knows,” McKinney said about Moore’s dismissive offseason comments. “This dude walked out on … I’ve been playing (NFL) football for five years now, and I’ve been watching football for longer than that, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a … You’re supposed to be the guy, and you’re just walking off the field. You’re walking off the field on a rookie quarterback that you’ve been praising, so it’s like, that’s a whole other story.”
You know what really stings about McKinney calling Moore’s character into question? Knowing the Bears won’t do anything about it. Not one modicum of fight. There isn’t a single player on Chicago’s active roster that has beaten the Packers as a Bear. The Bears also haven’t beaten Green Bay once this decade. Most of the time, the games in this “rivalry” lately resemble a glorified scrimmage for the Packers.
The Bears are already in the NFL’s dark abyss by their own doing. Nothing some Packers veteran says will do anything to make their suffering or frustration any worse.

Green Bay Packers’ Xavier McKinney named NFC Defensive Player of the Month

Former Alabama safety Xavier McKinney named Defensive Player of the Month in the NFC.

The Green Bay Packers quietly landed one of the best free agents this off-season in former Alabama Crimson Tide Safety Xavier McKinney. McKinney spent the first four years of his professional career with the New York Giants after being selected No. 36 overall in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft.

Over his four years with the Giants, McKinney was incredibly productive and was just one of two defenders in 2023 not to miss a snap all season, so losing him this off-season was a massive blow. The Packers signed him to a four-year $67 million deal this off-season, and so far, they have gotten their money’s worth.

McKinney has continued to ball out as he was just recognized as the NFC’s Defensive Player of the Month for October. Through eight games, McKinney has posted a staggering 36 tackles, one sack, one fumble recovery and six interceptions and appears to be on his way to a Pro Bowl selection.

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Packers S Xavier McKinney named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for October

The NFC’s Defensive Player of the Month for October 2024 is Packers safety Xavier McKinney.

The NFL’s leader in interceptions through eight weeks has been awarded a top monthly honor. Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney — who has six interceptions in eight games — was named the NFC’s Defensive Player of the Month for October 2024.

McKinney intercepted two passes, recovered a fumble and had a third-down sack over four October games — all Packers wins. He intercepted Matthew Stafford on Oct. 6 and Trevor Lawrence on Oct. 27 to bookend the month with takeaways. He also broke up a Stafford pass and recovered a fumble in Green Bay’s win over the Los Angeles Rams — a performance that earned him NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

McKinney was tied for fourth among all players in interceptions in October.

McKinney became the first Packers player to be named NFC Defensive Player of the Month since linebacker De’Vondre Campbell in October of 2021. That season, Campbell was named a first-team All-Pro. McKinney is well on his way to a similar honor, and possibly more. At the season’s midway point, McKinney has to be on the shortlist of NFL Defensive Player of the Year candidates.

McKinney, a free agent addition from the New York Giants, had an interception in all four September games. Per the NFL, McKinney is just the sixth player since 2000 with an interception in six of a team’s first eight games to start a season.

McKinney is the first Packers safety to earn an NFC Defensive Player of the Month award since Atari Bigby in December of 2007.

A pair of NFC Players of the Month will face off Sunday at Lambeau Field. It’ll be McKinney, the NFC’s Defensive Player of the Month for October, against Lions quarterback Jared Goff, the NFC’s Offensive Player of the Month for October. Goff was nearly perfect over four games in October. Both the Packers and Lions went undefeated during the month.

Key matchups for Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Green Bay Packers

Key matchups for Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Green Bay Packers

There is no rest for the weary as the Jacksonville Jaguars return home from their trip to London to take on Green Bay. Momentum is on their side following one of their best victories in over a year against the New England Patriots, 32-16. 

Jacksonville looks to build upon last week’s impressive offensive showing. Seven games into the regular season, the Jaguars may have found their identity on both sides of the ball and they will be put to the test against a well-rounded Packers team that has won five games while losing only two by a combined seven points

Jaguars Wire takes a closer look at this week’s key matchups for the Jaguars against the Packers in Jacksonville below.

Jaguars defense vs. Packers QB Jordan Love

The Jaguars’ defense is still an issue, especially in pass coverage and their lack of diversity outside of Cover 1 and Cover 2 defenses. However, it seems the unit found its calling card in getting pressure on the quarterback.

Edge rushers Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker have been excellent, with both finding a way to the quarterback consistently. That could pose an issue for the Packers, who rank 26th in time to throw at a 2.68-second average. 

Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love’s passer rating has dipped when pressured at 61.8 compared to his 114.3 passer rating when he isn’t. His EPA total (+38.4) and yard per attempt (9.3) take a nose-dive when blitzed to a -36.4 EPA and just under five yards per attempt, according to Next Gen Stats.

It is paramount that Jacksonville has success attacking the quarterback. The Jaguars’ rush flashed against a horrible Patriots offensive line and could find similar success this week in front of their home crowd.

It helps that Arik Armstead has begun to see more snaps at defensive tackle, which was noticeable a week ago with some of the interior pressure.

Should the Jaguars blitz at their highest rate since their blowout loss on Monday Night Football against Buffalo (31.4%), it will be crucial in a potential victory.

Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence vs. Packers defense

It’s been hard not to notice Trevor Lawrence’s improved play in the last three weeks. His 17-game average from those three games would have the former No. 1 overall selection shattering his single-season passing yards and touchdowns, according to Pro Football Reference.

A reason for his improved play leads back to an increase in play-action used by offensive coordinator Press Taylor and a new-found rushing attack led by second-year running back Tank Bigsby. Lawrence is finding answers against pressure, playing with better anticipation, and showcasing more composure and poise in the pocket. 

Play-action is one of the Achilles heels for the Packers’ defense. Per Next Gen Stats, their 50 percent success rate against this passing concept is the eighth-worst in the NFL.

This is a positive sign for Jacksonville’s passing game although it may run into an issue throwing against two quality safeties in Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams. Each ranks in the top five in coverage success rate among safeties. McKinney has been a ball-hawk with a league-leading five interceptions on the season. 

It won’t be easy attacking this secondary but the Jaguars have shown they are not afraid to test defenses in the vertical thirds and post. 

Packers rushing attack vs. Jaguars run defense

This might be the game’s best matchup. Jacksonville’s run defense has shown improvement and is currently ranked sixth in football with 102.6 rushing yards allowed per game. Now, the Jaguars face one of their toughest challenges in slowing down Packers running back Josh Jacobs, one of the league leaders in rushing yards and yards after contact.

Walker and Hines-Allen will be key in setting the edge and have been sound in this area; the Jaguars have allowed the fifth-fewest yards outside the tackles and rank sixth in EPA allowed per rushing attempt. Armstead will be a factor against Jacobs, who is one of the best at making first and second-level defenders miss in space. 

Tackling in space will be important in that regard and the Jaguars are fifth in the NFL in rushing yards after contact allowed per attempt. They have defenders who can make stops and bring the ball carrier down at first contact. Yet, this will be their toughest test against one of the league’s best rushers.

If Jacksonville were to slow down Jacobs and tackle in space consistently against him, the path to victory would be much easier to navigate.