McKinney became the first Packers player to ever have an interception during each of his first five games with the team when he picked off an overthrown Matthew Stafford pass intended for Tutu Atwell midway through the third quarter.
“It was great to see it,” McKinney said. “I got a good break off of it. Obviously he’s one of the great quarterbacks that we’ve seen play. He’s great at looking off and it was tough all game to be able to kind of get a good feel for him, but I knew if I stayed persistent and stayed consistent in what I was seeing from him that I was going to be able to get one and I got a good break and I made a play on the ball.”
McKinney became the first player since the 1970 merger to have an interception in his first five games with a team.
McKinney also tied Irv Comp — a Packers Hall of Famer who had sight in just one eye — as the only players in team history with interceptions in five straight games (1943).
“Five for five,” rookie safety Evan Williams said. “Being out there with him, it’s just like watching greatness. It’s pretty remarkable, the consistency at which he does it, but it’s not really a surprise.”
McKinney also had a critical fumble recovery early in the third quarter.
The Rams led, 13-10, and were on the move when defensive end Kingsley Enagbare stripped running back Kyren Williams. McKinney was once again in the right place at the right time and recovered the loose ball.
Two plays later, Tucker Kraft hauled in a 66-yard touchdown and Green Bay never trailed again.
“The best thing about X is when the ball’s in the air, he’s going to make a play,” Packers quarterback Jordan Love said of McKinney. “There were so many plays in training camp where whether it was a tip, an overthrow, he just finds himself around the ball. He’s in the right spot all the time, and he makes the plays when the ball’s in the air.
“You don’t see him dropping a lot of those plays, so I think he’s a really good safety, he knows where he needs to be in our defense and he’s a really good leader as well. But the guy’s just got great ball skills. I can’t tell you how good his ball skills are just when the ball’s in the air.”
TUCKER KRAFT: The arrow keeps pointing up for Green Bay’s second-year tight end.
Early in the third quarter, Kraft worked right to left and came free on a crossing route. Love delivered a strike 17 yards downfield and Kraft hauled in the pass at the Rams’ 49-yard line.
Kraft stiff armed cornerback Darious Williams at the 30, picked up a big block from wideout Dontayvion Wicks and did the rest on his way to a 66-yard touchdown that gave the Packers a 17-13 lead.
Kraft’s 66-yard reception was the longest by a Green Bay tight end since Tom Crabtree hauled in a 71-yarder from Aaron Rodgers in 2012.
“Tucker is a dog, you know?” Love said. “Every time he touches the ball, he has that mindset that he’s trying to score. He’s not going to go down lightly. He’s going to run people over and stay up. He does really good things when he has the ball in his hands. I definitely keep trying to find ways to give him the ball. He’s a dog. He had a big-time performance today.”
One series later, the Packers drove to the Rams’ 7-yard line and called a tight end screen. Kraft caught the pass in the left flat, rumbled to the endzone and broke the plane by inches before his elbow hit the ground.
“He’s relentless,” LaFleur said of Kraft. “And he’s got a great mindset. That’s all he does. He shows up, he works, he gets better. It’s been really cool to see him blossom.
“I think the more confidence he’s gotten, the better he’s done. I mean, he’s just a tough-minded dude. It’s been really cool to watch a guy and see the his growth and development.”
