A Packers safety thinks the Lions try to embarrass opponents, and he’s got an issue with that.
Move over, Chris Christie. Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney doesn’t like what the Detroit Lions are doing, and he’s got something to say about it.
On Thursday, McKinney told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he felt the Lions have been running up the score and calling unnecessary trick plays while up several scores to embarrass their opponents .
“In my opinion, I think they try to embarrass people,” McKinney said. “And I think this organization and the players we have in here, they don’t really take that lightly. We know that’s what they’re going to come here and try to do.”
The Lions do have two blowouts on their hands this season, beating the Dallas Cowboys 47-0 and the Tennessee Titans 52-14. In both contests, they ran trick plays in the second half. Against the Cowboys, they ran a hook and ladder to Penei Sewell—amidst several other trick plays—while up 37-9. And against the Titans, running back David Montgomery threw a touchdown pass late in the second quarter to go up 35-14.
“It’s just the mentality of when we step on the field, until the head coach tells us to let off the gas, we’re trying to score a touchdown every time,” Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said this week. It doesn’t matter if we’re up by five scores, down by five scores, that’s just who we are and that’s what we believe in, and it’s been that way since coach (Dan) Campbell got here.”
After the Lions’ blowout of the Cowboys, Campbell drew the ire of Christie , the former New Jersey governor who is a Cowboys fan. Christie said Campbell has “no class.” The Lions coach quickly laughed off those comments .
“The last time someone called me classless, I was drinking wine out of a bottle,” Campbell said. “But, no, I’m not worried about it.”
But McKinney clearly doesn’t think this is a laughing matter.
“Me, personally, I’m not a big fan of that, trying to embarrass someone,” he said. “I don’t really respect that. It is what it is.”