Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Monday he would put safeties Xavier McKinney, Javon Bullard and Evan Williams “up against anybody in the league” after the trio helped hold the Dallas Cowboys to 13 points.
Williams intercepted Dak Prescott in the second quarter of Green Bay’s 23-13 win Sunday night. Bullard broke up three passes. McKinney had three tackles and a quarterback hit.
LaFleur credited defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, whom he calls JG, for how the three are used.
“I think JG’s done a good job with all those guys, whether it’s him, whether it’s X, whether it’s Bull, of putting them in positions to make plays,” LaFleur said. “And I think all those guys have done a really good job. They’re so smart. I would put that trio up against anybody in the league. I think they’re smart, they’re instinctive, they play the game the right way.”
Evan Williams’ interception started with a disguise
Dallas had third-and-8 at the Green Bay 17 early in the second quarter, down 7-0. Prescott threw over the middle for CeeDee Lamb, and Williams picked it off at the 3, returning it 17 yards.
Williams showed one coverage before the snap and played another, LaFleur said.
“Evan can anticipate plays as good as anybody,” LaFleur said. “I mean, that pick that he made last night, just the disguise showing down away from where the quarterback was going to throw the ball, how he… kind of went out of it straight back.”
“So you couldn’t tell if he was going to go play a cloud or what coverage he was going to be in, and Dak never even saw him, I don’t think,” LaFleur continued.
Williams finished with six tackles, the interception and a pass breakup. He was back at practice last week ahead of the Dallas game.
The Packers turned the turnover into a 15-play, 73-yard drive and a 25-yard Trey Smack field goal.
Xavier McKinney says “hats off” to Jonathan Gannon
Green Bay picked off Prescott twice. Rookie cornerback Brandon Cisse had the other. A third, by Carrington Valentine, was wiped out by a roughing-the-passer penalty.
Takeaways are the job, McKinney said after the game.
“The ball is what gets us paid, man,” McKinney said. “So at the end of the day, we’re trying to go out there and get our hands on the ball, however that may look, whether that’s a punch out, whether that’s getting the ball out of the air, whatever it is, but we just stay consistent with our process.”
Prescott completed 34 of 54 passes for 258 yards. Lamb caught nine of 18 targets for 70 yards, and George Pickens caught six of 11 for 73.
McKinney said the pressure and the coverage worked together.
“Rush and coverage, baby. Rush and coverage,” McKinney said. “When that rush is getting there, then you add the disguise game in there.”
“And then us in the back end just making sure that we’re all tight end on the skies. And ultimately that’s muddying up everything, the picture,” McKinney continued. “And it’s forcing him to think really, really fast, especially with a rush that’s coming in.”
McKinney gave the play calls to Gannon and his staff.
“It’s a great call every time, so hats off to him and the staff for being prepared and helping us be prepared for this game,” McKinney said.
LaFleur said Monday that Gannon “does such a great job of holding a high standard and holding everybody to that standard.”
“We’ve been playing really good defense,” LaFleur said. “We had the one bad game against Atlanta but outside of that.”
The Packers (4-2) play at the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 3:25 p.m. CT on FOX.
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