To say that the Green Bay Packers defense needs work is selling it short. The team’s most avid cheeseheads were far from pleased with how their Week 4 loss to fierce rivals Minnesota Vikings turned out.
While Jordan Love’s struggles to shake off the rust takes center stage for many of the fans, the offense isn’t the only problem area exposed during the 31-29 loss. The defense (particularly the pass rush) had a terrible time preventing Sam Darnold from doing whatever he wanted on the field.
Matt LaFleur, Adam Stenavich, and Jeff Haley have plenty of issues to iron out with the offense as they prepare to face the Los Angeles Rams in Week 5. However, all of them will agree that Xavier McKinney is one of the more impressive players on their roster after four weeks of football.
The 26-year-old safety has been one of the more reliable impact players on defense, and one analyst highlights how meaningful he’s been to the Packers from the perspective of his former team.
Analyst emphasizes Xavier McKinney’s impact on the Green Bay Packers as a loss for the New York Giants
Braullo Perez of GMEN HQ is fully dedicated to covering New York Giants games, but he wouldn’t just dismiss former standouts who have moved on from the team. In a recent piece, he highlighted how the team’s decision to let McKinney walk in free agency turned out to be a terrible move for the G-Men.
He explains that while the Giants’ secondary is struggling to match opposing wideouts, McKinney is thriving at Lambeau Field. He even talked about his mesmerizing pick against Sam Darnold.
Xavier McKinney has his FOURTH INT in the first FOUR games!
📺: #MINvsGB on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/LjBauScE2D— NFL (@NFL) September 29, 2024
He basically wrote poetry when describing the play:
That play from McKinney was a thing of beauty. Sam Darnold, who has been slicing up defenses in 2024, thought he was going to be able to extend Minnsota’s lead to 35-7, but McKinney made a play on the ball and posted the fantastic INT for his team. Everything about that play was elite.
Xavier McKinney is nothing short of phenomenal for the Packers this season. He already amassed four picks through four games for 35 yards. Fans can expect him to get more INTs as the season rolls on, and it wouldn’t be strange to expect him to get a Pro Bowl nod if he keeps this level of performance up.
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