It didn't take long for the virtual pitchforks and torches to come out for Keisean Nixon. Green Bay Packers fans were on the veteran cornerback's case after an up-and-down Week 2 performance, and some criticism is warranted, but not everything.
Nixon certainly had some lowlights in the Packers' gritty 20-17 overtime road win over the New York Jets. He gave up two third-and-long conversions, committed a costly defensive pass interference penalty and started jogging before Braelon Allen punched in a short rushing touchdown. To make matters worse, the back-breaking sequence all happened on a single drive.
However, at the end of the day, it wasn't all bad for Nixon. He did some good things in New York, aside from a few (very) loud mistakes.
Keisean Nixon quietly performed better than you think vs. Jets
Jets star wide receiver Garrett Wilson posted five receptions for 57 yards and a touchdown on seven targets in the loss to the Packers. He didn't exactly set the world on fire, and his trip to the end zone came with second-round rookie Brandon Cisse in coverage. The solid, albeit unspectacular, showing speaks to Nixon's impact — considering they saw plenty of each other.
New York recorded the fourth-highest pass rate (68.1 percent) and ran the fourth-most plays (72) of the entire slate, excluding Monday Night Football. They weren't leaning on the run and/or trying to control the clock. Yet, Wilson saw nearly half as many looks as their No. 2 wideout, Adonai Mitchell (12).
Why was Wilson not the focal point, you may ask? Because he faced Nixon on 20 of his 37 routes. The former caught all three of his targets for 44 scoreless yards when the latter was the primary defender.
So, while it's easy to watch a short game recap and think that Nixon was a massive liability, the numbers say otherwise. He did a solid job of holding his ground and containing Wilson, the Jets' alpha WR. The two-time All-Pro kick returner also chipped in seven tackles, including a potentially game-saving stop on a Breece Hall run that may have gone the distance.
All the goodwill Nixon earned with his impressive outing in Green Bay's 2026 opener seems to have vanished. Perhaps he fared so well that expectations got out of whack. Nevertheless, the truth typically lies somewhere in the middle, especially for a notoriously inconsistent contributor like him.
Another challenge and opportunity to turn doubters into believers awaits Nixon in Week 3. He and the Packers host standout receiver Drake London and the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football.
Note: Advanced metrics courtesy of Fantasy Points' data suite 2.0 ($).
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