Green Bay Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon made the defining play on Sunday. He jumped into the endzone to capture an interception, clinching a 28-21 win against the Chicago Bears. The return game at Lambeau Field would be a turning point for the Packers. This publicity-averse victory propelled them into first place in the NFC North with just four weeks remaining in the regular season.
Nixon’s pick was the most shocking play of the game – and maybe of the entire playoff run to that point. It was fourth-and-1 from the Packers’ 14-yard line, and Bears quarterback Caleb Williams had a chance to tie the game with his final pass. The defensive play not only showcased Nixon’s athletic ability but highlighted his importance to the team’s success this season.
Perhaps like Nixon herself, the results so far have been erratic. This season, he’s overcome those challenges thus far by only being called for pass interference four times. This mark ranks him third among all NFL cornerbacks. Despite these penalties, he’s shown some toughness back there, having deflected or intercepted passes from receivers fourteen times this season. Just four guys in the NFL had accumulated more pass breakups than Nixon heading into Week 14.
Nixon is listed at 5-foot-10 and has been sometimes tagged with “a little short-man syndrome.” If there’s one thing he hasn’t done at his size, it’s shown that size equals skill on the field. After last season though, all he talked about was wanting to be the No. 1 corner on this team. With the way he has performed this season, he has bested many of the league’s top-paid CBs.
When the Bengals faced the Bears, Nixon faced adversity when he was penalized twice on a key second-quarter scoring drive. This critical setback resulted in a Chicago field goal for the win. He was penalized for illegal hands to the face as well as unnecessary roughness. As punishment, he was benched for two series. This is a big blow, but I have felt from him consistently a laser sharp attention on getting better. Green Bay Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur recognized the path Nixon took to get there as well, saying,
“You’ve got to be smart, you’ve got to keep your poise.”
LaFleur then explained how packed with emotion the rivalry between the Packers and Bears, saying that
“I get it. Football is an emotional game, especially when you talk about Packers-Bears. There’s just a heightened sense of emotion, but you’ve got to keep your poise at the end of the day and you can’t do anything that hurts the team.”
Nixon’s resolve shone through as he spoke about his game with disappointment after the contest.
“Man, I’ve been trying to get my hand on the ball all year. I wanted that bad. I wanted it so bad. So I’m thankful for it, for sure,” he stated.
Then, he backed up all that confidence on the field with some brash statements,
“F
Leave a Reply