GREEN BAY – Xavier McKinney did it again on Sunday.
The Packers safety made history with his third-quarter interception off Minnesota quarterback Sam Darnold, notching his fourth consecutive game with at least one INT.
The feat puts McKinney in some exclusive company. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he's the fourth NFL player since 1970 to post an INT in each of his first four games with a team, joining Buffalo linebacker Ken Lee (1972), New York Giants cornerback Terry Jackson (1978) and New York Jets cornerback Otis Smith (1995).
What's more, McKinney's streak of four straight games with an INT is tied for the second-longest streak in franchise history behind only Irv Comp (five in 1943). He's the first Packer to do it in four straight games since S Nick Collins in 2009.
"He's doing a great job," defensive lineman Kenny Clark said. "Wherever they're throwing it at, it's like he's always around the ball. It's good to have him on our team. He's a baller."
His pick off Darnold came at the Green Bay 2-yard line and prevented the Vikings from potentially delivering the knockout blow to the Packers just under five minutes into the second half.
Instead, Green Bay began to claw itself back into the game. Minnesota punted on its next two possessions and then lost a fumble to start the fourth quarter. Keisean Nixon came off the edge uncontested on a blitz for a strip-sack of Darnold.
Rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper recovered the ball at the Vikings' 20-yard line and the offense quickly punched the ball in to cut the deficit to 28-22 after a successful two-point conversion.
"It was a play that we needed," said McKinney of Nixon's forced fumble. "He's one of our playmakers on our defense and he came up big for us. We expect nothing less from him. We expect nothing less from all of our guys that make plays."
The Packers were unable to complete the comeback, as Minnesota tacked on a 33-yard Will Reichard field goal to push its lead back to two scores and Green Bay turned the ball over on back-to-back drives.
With 13 games to play, McKinney's torrid start has the fifth-year veteran just one pick away from matching his previous career-high of five INTs with the Giants in 2021.
Still, the 25-year-old safety would trade in all the superlatives for a win – even a four-game stretch of takeaways that McKinney hasn't experienced since his high school days.
"It don't mean nothing when you lose," McKinney said. "We just gotta be cleaner. I gotta be better. We just gotta be better as a unit and as a team moving forward."
Whelan dealin': The Packers' turnaround began with second-year punter Daniel Whelan blasting a career-long 74-yard punt that Vikings returner Jalen Nailor muffed in the final minute of the first half.
Flyer Bo Melton corralled the loose ball at the Minnesota 3-yard line. It could not be advanced because Nailor never had possession.
Two plays later (and following a penalty), the Packers converted the turnover into their first points of the afternoon on a 15-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Reed.
"We needed a spark," Melton said. "Once I saw the returner tap his hands in the air and try to see the ball, I knew something was going on. So, I was trying to bark at him, trying to do something to him. He muffed it."
Whelan finished with a 60.0-yard average on his three punts, the top mark by a Green Bay punter (min. three punts) since Boyd Dowler recorded a 62.0-yard average on three punts vs. San Francisco on Oct. 21, 1962.
Additionally, Whelan's net average of 56.7 yards on his three punts was the top mark by a Packer punter (since 1976) with three-plus punts in a game, topping Tim Masthay's mark of 55.3 yards on three punts at Minnesota on Oct. 23, 2011.
His 56.7-yard net average on Sunday was the top mark by an NFL punter (min. three punts) since Seahawks P Michael Dickson averaged 57.5 yards on six punts at Denver on Sept. 9, 2018.
"He can boot the ball really well," Melton said. "As flyers, it's our job to get the returner down and make sure he gets all the yards he can. Having the time to run like that, it's our job to help him and have him be the best in the league."
Narveson's day: Conversely, Brayden Narveson missed both of his field-goal attempts: a 37-yarder that hit the right upright at the end of the Packers' opening drive and a 49-yard try that went wide right in the second quarter.
Through four games, Narveson is 9-of-13 (69.2%) on field-goal attempts and 10-for-10 on extra points. Asked if Matt LaFleur said anything to him, Narveson said the head coach told him they're riding with him.
"Those are critical misses and it's unacceptable; hurts," Narveson said. "I'm sure you guys can all see it in my face. It hurts. But I just gotta look myself in the mirror, go back to the drawing board and be better. That's about all I can say about it."
Wyatt update: Defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt sustained an ankle injury midway through the fourth quarter and did not return.
Wyatt, who leads Green Bay with three sacks this year, was wearing a boot on his right foot in the postgame locker room.
"I don't think it's too bad," said Wyatt, who's scheduled for an MRI Monday. "It's kind of hard to tell because my adrenaline is still going."
Receiver Christian Watson also left the game due to an ankle injury but wasn't available postgame.
Gotta be cleaner: Tucker Kraft matched his previous career high with six receptions, plowed in for a 13-yard touchdown and converted a two-point conversion.
However, what was top of mind for the second-year tight end afterwards was a holding penalty that negated an Emanuel Wilson 23-yard run and a fumble late in the fourth quarter on a second-effort play.
"Things just weren't clean. I take a lot of the drives upon myself with a costly fumble," Kraft said. "It's uncharacteristic to me. The holding call that took back (a big run). It's tough. But we're gonna flush this loss and we're gonna move on."
