![]() “I’ve got my own standards as a person for myself and my own expectations,” Nixon said. If the entire unit can perform to that standard again, Nixon could put up some eye-popping numbers over a full season. While Nixon has a rare combination of speed and vision, the blocking was sublime last year on several of his returns. Green Bay has built a solid nucleus of special teams players around Nixon that includes Dallin Leavitt, Rudy Ford, Isaiah McDuffie, Tariq Carpenter, Eric Wilson and Patrick Taylor. “When I first got here, it was like I'm kinda like trying to understand what's going on, how the building works and stuff like that. “I'm comfortable now, you know what I'm saying?” Nixon said. Now, Nixon is excited to try living up to that contract by strutting his stuff for an entire season. Nixon signed a one-year, $4 million contract this offseason that could pay him up to $6 million based on playing time incentives. Nixon did that, then took over both return jobs after Rodgers fumbled five times as a returner and was released on Nov. 2022, he lobbied to add Nixon to the roster - but that was largely to help improve Green Bay’s coverage units. When Green Bay hired Bissacia as its special teams coordinator in Feb. Nixon returned six kicks during his first two years with the Raiders, but averaged just 14.0 yards per return. But despite his 4.42 speed in the 40-yard dash, Nixon didn’t do any returning his final two collegiate seasons at South Carolina. Nixon had a pair of kickoff return touchdowns while playing junior college football at Arizona Western Community College. Then again, there was nothing from Nixon’s past to suggest he could be this type of return man. In hindsight, it seems almost criminal Nixon sat behind Rodgers for half of the 2022 campaign. “Every time he’s got the ball in his hands, I’m standing up trying to see what he’s going to do with the ball. “Man, he does a great job,” Packers nose tackle Kenny Clark said of Nixon. And Nixon became the first Packer kick returner to be named first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press since it added that position in 1976.He returned 11 punts for 140 yards (12.7).Nixon returned a kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown against Minnesota in Week 17, marking the first time since 2011 (Randall Cobb) the Packers had a kickoff return for a TD.The others were Cordarrelle Patterson (2015, 2020), Joe McKnight (2011) and Alvin Haymond (1970). He became the fourth player since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to post 1,000-plus yards on 35 or fewer kickoff returns.Nixon has a league-high six games with 100-plus yards on kickoff returns, tying Hampton (1971) for the most in a season by a Packer since 1950.That was the most by a Packer since Allen Rossum in 2000. Nixon also led the league in kick returns of at least 30 yards with 11. ![]() No other player in the NFL had more than two. 1 in the NFL in kickoff returns of 50-plus yards with five. 2 in the NFL with an average of 28.83 yards per kickoff return, the best single-season mark in franchise history among players with 30-plus kickoff returns. The only other Packers in team history to achieve that were Al Carmichael (19) and Dave Hampton (1971). He led the NFL with 1,009 yards on kickoff returns.Among Nixon’s remarkable achievements were: Nixon proceeded to have a Desmond Howard-like impact on special teams over the final two months of the season. And he wasn’t made the primary punt returner until Week 11 after Amari Rodgers fumbled his way out of town. Nixon wasn’t given the kickoff return job until Week 8. Then midway through last season, LaFleur and Bisaccia realized they had an Aston-Martin sitting in the garage. The Packers had been operating with Yugos and Pintos in the return game for years. “Well” is the understatement of the LaFleur-era. But he’s got a great mentality and I love how he competes and he’s a guy who really goes for it and he’s got no fear of failure, which I totally respect and I think it’s done well for us.” “And there are some times where you kind of hold your breath. ![]() “He’s got a very aggressive mindset which, for the most part, is really, really good,” LaFleur said of Nixon. 32 to 22 in Rick Gosselin’s annual special teams rankings. Nixon’s emergence was the biggest reason Green Bay jumped from No. He finished the season as arguably the most dangerous return man in football. ![]() Nixon entered the 2022 campaign with six career kickoff returns and zero punt attempts. in special teams.Īnd not even Keisean Nixon, a player packed with as much confidence as speed and elusiveness. Not Matt LaFleur, whose knowledge of special teams is pedestrian. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |