At multiple points during the Packers‘ nail-biter win over the Bears on Sunday at Lambeau Field, a 28-21 game that was decided in the final minute, pretty much the entirety of Packers fandom was hurling some sort of epithet or another at cornerback Keisean Nixon. He struggled in coverage. And he struggled, as he often does, keeping his emotions in check
Nixon was whistled for an unnecessary roughness penalty for a scrape with Bears receiver Luther Burden III in the second period, on a call that might have been a stretch by the refs. Still, it is a scene that has become all too familiar this season. If there is an extracurricular scuffle away from a play, there is a very high likelihood that Nixon is in the middle of it.
After that penalty, which helped set up a Bears field goal, Packers coach Matt LaFleur had some words for Nixon, and even sat him out for a few plays. But Nixon ultimately got back on the field and played better–and eventually sealed the game with an end-zone interception on Bears quarterback Caleb Williams on a fourth-down play with 27 seconds left in the game.
Keisean Nixon Got a Talking-To From Matt LaFleur
Nixon was the hero, in the end. And it turned out that Packers coach Matt LaFleur was in the same boat as a lot of the team’s fans throughout the game–aggravated by his antics before being thrilled by his achievement.
“I am not going get into what I said to him. He knows what I said to him. We had a quick conversation. I just—you gotta be smart, you gotta be poised,” LaFleur said, implying that Nixon had not been.
But Nixon did have the turnaround, and LaFleur was all for that.
“I get it. Football is an emotional game,” LaFleur said. “Especially when you talk about Packers-Bears. There’s a heightened sense of emotion. But you have got to keep your poise at the end of the day, and you can’t do anything that hurts the team. However, I will say, I was proud of how he responded. He had a couple of PBUs and then to have that interception at the end of the game was obviously a critical moment.”
Keisean Nixon: ‘I Want to Win the North’
Nixon conceded after the game that he was caught up int he emotion of Packers-Bears, and though the history of that matchup stretches back decades, he was more concerned with the recent past. The Packers have not won the division in Nixon’s career, and with Chicago coming in at 9-3, with Green Bay at 8-3-1, the lead was at stake.
“I want to win the North and that’s a big thing since I been here,” Nixon said. “Four years, we haven’t won it yet, we have to bring it back to Lambeau for sure.”
Green Bay has the inside track on that now, at 9-3-1, a half-game ahead of the Bears.
Packers ‘Took a Full 60 Minutes’
It was not an easy win, of course, even after the Packers took a 14-3 lead early and looked primed to blow Chicago out of the water. Chicago kept grinding back thanks to the medium-range passing of Caleb Williams and a running game that ground out 138 yards. Jordan Love recorded 234 yards passing and three touchdowns, along with an early interception, to put forth another impressive outing.
Josh Jacobs (20 carries, 86 yards) did not have gaudy numbers but was decidedly effective, especially in clutch situations.
“It took a full 60 minutes,” LaFleur said. “We are fortunate we made a play at the end of the game but it was a back and forth battle, especially in that second half.”
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