Green Bay Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon has been making a name for himself recently with his performance on the field. Nixon has been one of the team’s standouts recently and has been a big spark the last few weeks in helping turn things around in Green Bay. But, it is not his defense that has stood out, instead, it is his performance on special teams.

Nixon played a key part in the team’s victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday afternoon in a must-win game to keep their playoff hopes alive. He got the scoring started for the Packers, answering a Greg Joseph 21-yard field goal with a 105-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. That gave the Packers a 7-3 lead and they never looked back as they scored 41 consecutive points before Minnesota scored two touchdowns late with the game already decided.

While many teams struggle to produce in that facet of the game, Green Bay has a legitimate weapon in Nixon. He has really come on recently, providing them a real edge on kickoffs, which brings many positives to the table, such as control of field position and setting the offense up for easy scoring opportunities.

As shared by Field Yates, the Keisean Nixon show is on full display. The touchdown return against the Vikings was the second consecutive game in which he shifted momentum in a big way for the Packers, as his 91-yard return against the Miami Dolphins on Christmas Day set up their first score of the afternoon. It also extends his streak of 90+ total kickoff return yards to seven, which is the longest in the NFL since 2000.

On the season, Nixon has 31 kickoff returns for 930 yards and one touchdown. He is leading the league in kick return yardage and yards per return while having the longest kick return of the season and being one of only four players to score on a kick return this season. 

The win over the Vikings was their fourth straight, pushing their record to 8-8 on the season. Lady Luck is certainly looking out for them as everything they have needed to occur has happened as Green Bay is now in a win and you’re in situation in Week 18 against the Detroit Lions. 

The Lions could be playing for a postseason spot as well depending on what happens with the Seattle Seahawks, setting up one of the biggest games in the final week of the regular season. They will have to be strategic when it comes to kickoffs and special teams as Nixon has shown that he can flip the script quickly with his return abilities.