Lions quarterback Jared Goff just won NFC Offensive Player of the Month. Packers safety Xavier McKinney just won NFC Defensive Player of the Month. They will meet Sunday at Lambeau Field on the first Sunday of November.
"It’s a big game for us," McKinney said this week. "Obviously they got a really good team, we got a really good team. And this is for that No. 1 spot (in the division)."
McKinney leads the NFL with six interceptions, for a defense that leads the NFL with 19 takeaways. Goff leads the NFL in completion percentage and yards per pass, for an offense that leads the NFL in points per game. And the Lions haven't just lit up the scoreboard. They've had some fun doing it, with hook-and-ladders and double-reverse flea-flickers, with receivers and running backs throwing touchdowns and Goff catching one.
Asked about Detroit's penchant for trick plays, McKinney said, "In my opinion, I think they try to embarrass people."
"And I think this organization and the players we have in here, they don’t really take that lightly. We know that’s what they’re going to come here and try to do, so our job is to make sure that we’re on our keys and everybody has disciplined eyes and still going out there and playing fast. But we know that’s the game that they like to get into. So for us, we just gotta do what we do, and we’ll be alright," McKinney said.
To handle the Lions' many weapons on offense, McKinney said the Packers are "trusting in our technique."
"To me, we’ve been talking about the Lions all week. They got what they got and we have what we have, and we trust in what we do here and we trust in our scheme. I don’t really think it’s about anything that they do," he said. "It’s about what we do and what we plan to do on Sunday."
McKinney, who's in his first season with the Packers after four years with the Giants, is one of the best ballhawks in the NFL. It won't be easy to intercept Goff, who's playing the most disciplined football of his career. He has 10 touchdowns and no picks in his last four games and is on the greatest five-game stretch in NFL history.
"He's been good, man," said McKinney. "He’s putting the ball where it needs to be. They’re running efficiently, they’re running smoothly and he’s done a great job of eliminating turnovers and eliminating mistakes, really. Y’all have seen the stats. They’ve done a great job as a unit of making sure they score, but also being efficient and not giving up the ball."