New York Giants safety Xavier McKinney has been named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week after his masterful Week 9 performance against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The second-year safety finished the game with seven tackles, two passes defensed, two interceptions and one touchdown. The touchdown was the Giants’ first defensive trot into the end zone this season.
The two-interception day represented the second such performance for McKinney this season. He previously recorded two interceptions in a Week 6 loss to the Las Angeles Rams.
For his efforts, McKinney was given a 94.5 overall grade by Pro Football Focus. It was the highest defensive grade for any player in the NFL over the slate of Week 9 games.
McKinney is the third Giants player to win a Player of the Week Award this season, joining quarterback Daniel Jones, who received the honor in Week 4, and kicker Graham Gano, who drew the nod in Week 7.
The last Giants defensive back to win a Player of the Week Award was Janoris Jenkins in Week 4 of the 2019 season.
