GREEN BAY – The streak is over. Well, at least one of them.
While Xavier McKinney saw his consecutive games streak with an interception end at six games dating back to last season, the Packers' star safety was more excited about the way in which Green Bay dispatched the Arizona Cardinals in a 34-13 win on Sunday.
The defense got three more takeaways against the Cardinals – all off fumbles – running its total to 17 on the year. In doing so, the Packers became the first Green Bay defense to post multiple takeaways in each of its first six games since the 1996 squad that won Super Bowl XXXI.
"Yeah…but we won," said McKinney when asked about the end of his INT streak. "I'm happy that we won and that's always the main goal. We're only worried about wins. As long as we can keep stacking up these wins, I am the happiest man alive."
Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray was neither intercepted nor sacked on Sunday, but Arizona went three-and-out on three of its first four possessions and finished the game with three consecutive turnovers off fumbles.
The first of the trio of three-and-outs happened on Arizona's opening possession. That was no small achievement, as the Cardinals had scored a touchdown on their first drive in all five games this year – the first time an NFL team has achieved that feat since 1993.
Arizona fell behind 24-0 but built some momentum before halftime, scoring all 13 of its points on consecutive series. The tide turned in the third quarter, though, as defensive lineman Karl Brooks forced a fumble of James Conner that he recovered himself at the Arizona 30-yard line.
On the next possession, rookie safety Evan Williams punched the ball out of the arms of receiver Greg Dortch after a 16-yard pass to the Packers' 39-yard line. Cornerback Jaire Alexander jumped on the ball and Green Bay's offense parlayed the takeaway into a 41-yard Brayden Narveson field goal following a 12-play, 56-yard drive.
"I think we just became really ball conscious," Williams said. "We're developing a little bit of a legacy for taking the ball away, and it dramatically improves our chances of winning a game. We just know how much it means for the whole game and being at home, that momentum that you get after each takeaway just puts the game a little bit more away."
Arizona took the ball down to the Green Bay 18 on its final drive before Murray lost the ball on a botched handoff. Defensive lineman Kenny Clark recovered the ball at the Packers' 21 with 5:37 remaining.
The NFL leader in takeaways through six weeks, Green Bay needs just one more to tie its takeaway total for the entire 2023 regular season (18).
"At this point now, we got so many turnovers everybody's itching to get one," Clark said. "So definitely, we're all competing to get those turnovers and make those plays. It's been huge. All year we've been getting turnovers and we gotta keep that going. It's contagious, once we get one, man, they all just start coming out."
Breaking the game open: Christian Watson has been champing at the bit to get back on the field since averting disaster with his ankle injury two weeks ago against Minnesota.
Finally given the green light, the Packers' third-year wideout made his presence felt on a 44-yard touchdown pass off a deep post. It was the only play Green Bay needed on a 7-second scoring drive that pushed the Packers' lead to 24-0 with 4:39 left in the first half.
"It was the perfect route. It wasn't even in the game plan," said Watson, who's now scored six TDs in his last eight games. "It was something that we saw how they were playing throughout the game and we knew if we got a chance to get this defense right here, we knew we would be able to take a shot.
"So, honestly, as soon as we called it, I don't want to be cocky or anything, but I knew it was a touchdown just based off how they were playing with their leverages and everything."
The play was set up by Keisean Nixon's career-long 39-yard punt return. The Packers originally put Jayden Reed back for the punt, but the second-year receiver lost the ball during his return. Green Bay was saved by offsetting penalties that forced a re-kick.
The new kickoff structure had led to Nixon only having one return through the first five games. When asked if it felt good to bust a return loose, even on punt, the fifth-year veteran was emphatic.
"Hell yeah," said Nixon, who also had two kickoff returns for 60 yards. "Kind of hurt. I ain't been tackled all year, so I'm kind of sore, but it does feel good to get the ball in my hands finally and be able to feel it out. I even got a couple kick returns today. It just feel good, man."
Grinding it out: The Cardinals didn't make it easy, but the Packers' top-ranked rushing offense picked up another 179 yards on the ground.
Josh Jacobs (18 carries for 62 yards) led seven different Green Bay ball carriers. Receiver Bo Melton had two carries for 27 yards, tight end Tucker Kraft had a 2-yard pickup on a third-and-1 direct snap, and Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks combined for 75 yards on nine carries while helping run out the clock.
"Really just leaning on them," left guard Elgton Jenkins said. "They gave us a lot of different personnels and stuff like that, but just being able to lean on them, getting the running backs holes to run through was key."
Jacobs went over the 6,000-yard rushing mark for his career (6,009), reaching it in his 79th career game. His rushing total is the fourth most among active players through 79 games behind only Ezekiel Ellliott (7,006), Nick Chubb (6,511) and Dalvin Cook (6,102).
A special swap: Bo and Max Melton had the opportunity to swap jerseys after playing in front of roughly two dozen family and friends, including parents Gary and Vicky.
The two brothers matched up against each other on a few occasions, whether it was Max lining up across from Bo in pass coverage or the two squaring off in punt coverage. Bo, as a flyer, got an inside step on Max, as a jammer, on the first punt of the game.
"I was just happy to see him, give him a hug," Bo Melton said. "Just tell him, 'Hey Max, I'm happy for you bro.' … Just see him grow to what he's become now, I'm nothing but proud of him.
"And he's exceeded what I've done – he got drafted second round. That's what I want for him. I want him to be better than me. So at the end of the day, seeing him competing definitely helped me with my process with him through life."
