Monday Six-Pack: Keisean Nixon Gets Lame Ball as Packers Lose to Giants

Here is the game ball, lame ball, pivot point and more as the Green Bay Packers were upset on Monday night by the New York Giants.

I guess trap games do, in fact, exist.

After the best two-game stretch of the season, Jordan Love and Co. laid an egg on Monday Night Football against the New York Giants.

The Packers turned over the ball three times. They missed a field goal. They simply made too many mistakes for a young team to overcome. 

Ultimately, this could be a lasting lesson for the Packers. No matter how well a team thinks it is playing, the NFL will humble you in a hurry.

Losing to a New York Giants team that has fans photoshopping Drake Maye or Caleb Williams into their jerseys will certainly do that.

Here's our six-pack from the Packers' lackluster loss to the Giants.

Game Ball: Malik Heath

Malik Heath has become a nice role player for the Packers.

His playing time has been sporadic, but he was pressed into duty on Monday night with Christian Watson inactive and Dontayvion Wicks exiting with an ankle injury.

Heath only had one catch, but it was a big one.

On the play prior to that one catch, it looked like he scored a go-ahead touchdown. Jordan Love hung in the pocket and threw a strike into the middle of the end zone. Heath caught the ball and got two feet down, but was ruled to not have completed the process of the catch.

Love went right back to Heath on the next play. Heath made a nifty finger-tip catch on the sideline while falling out of bounds and taking out the official.

That level of resiliency is something the Packers are going to look for as they build this offense for 2023 and beyond.

He may have only made one catch, but it was a big one. On a night where the Packers suffered from a comedy of errors, Heath redeemed himself from one of his.

For that, he gets the game ball.

Live Updates: Giants Upset Packers 24-22

Lame Ball: Keisean Nixon

Whether it was as an All-Pro kick returner last year or the starting nickel defender this year, Keisean Nixon has done some impressive things since signing with the Packers during the 2022 offseason.

He was part of two of the biggest plays of Monday’s game, and neither were positive.

Nixon fumbled a punt early in the third quarter after the Packers' defense forced a three-and-out while leading 10-7.

Had the offense gotten the ball with a lead, perhaps the game would have been different. Instead, Nixon’s fumble set up the Giants for the go-ahead touchdown.

After Jordan Love’s go-ahead touchdown to Malik Heath with 1:33 to play, Nixon had a chance for redemption.

After a few short passes gave the Giants some life, Joe Barry dialed up man coverage. Wan'Dale Robinson ran right by Nixon on a corner route for a catch-and-run gain of 32 that put the Giants in field-goal position.

Randy Bullock kicked the game-winning field goal a few plays later.

It was the cap of a tough day for Nixon, after he had one of the biggest games of his career a week ago against Kansas City.

Play of the Game: Malik Heath's Redemption

Malik Heath had just made the play of his life, with a touchdown to give the Packers a 22-21 lead.

With the help of the officials and replay, however, that moment was taken away from him.

Heath had to have wondered if he was going to get another opportunity like that.

Football has a funny way of calling your number when you least expect it.

Heath was targeted by Love as the Giants brought an all-out pressure. The ball was thrown where only Heath could catch it, and he did.

After barreling over the goal line, through the official and losing his helmet, Heath had his redemption.

WHAT A CATCH, @MalikHeath2! 😮#GBvsNYG | #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/CWL2dzafPO

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) December 12, 2023

Heath may be relied on more with the receiver room decimated by injuries. Plays like this one should give him more confidence.

Pivot Point: Saquon Barkley Fumble

Sure, the Giants won on a walk-off field goal, but the reality is the Packers were lucky to even be in position to steal a win.

The Giants led 21-16 and were looking to run out the clock with star running back Saquon Barkley.

Barkley, who had been held in check for most of the night, broke a 17-yard run for a first down. Then, he broke free down the sideline and looked like he had an opportunity to score.

Ultimately, Barkley got into a fight with the turf monster and lost mightily.

.@run_carri7 scoops up the fumble! 🤯#GBvsNYG | #GoPackGo

📺: ABC pic.twitter.com/bO4Z83UTtQ

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) December 12, 2023

Barkley lost his footing, then lost the football.

A 34-yard run was wiped out, and Carrington Valentine returned the ball to the Giants' 36.

Barkley's blunder was a self-inflicted wound, and he gave the Packers life that they probably did not deserve. 

Turnover Trouble

After a solid stretch of play in taking care of the football, Jordan Love's accuracy and decision-making resembled Major League character Ricky Vaughn.

Juuuuuuuuuuust a bit outside.

Midway through the second quarter, Love fumbled a read-option keeper in which it looked like he would have had a better chance at the first down had he just run to the sideline.

On the next possession, Love had his arm affected on an interception, but the decision to make the deep throw to Dontayvion Wicks was poor, as well.

The Packers' only real path to losing against an inferior Giants team was by turning the ball over. They were minus-2 in the first half. Then, Keisean Nixon fumbled a punt return early in the third quarter. So, instead of a chance to take a two score lead, the Giants took advantage for the go-ahead touchdown.

The Packers ended up minus-1 in turnovers thanks to gifts from Saquon Barkley and Bobby McClain.

Ultimately, they were too careless with the football.

Looking Ahead

The Packers return home to Lambeau Field to take on the first-place Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Baker Mayfield and company are coming off a big win over the Atlanta Falcons to take over first place of the NFC South.

The Packers have dropped into a cluster of 6-7 teams and missed an opportunity to pull further away from a Rams team that they own a head-to-head tiebreaker with. 

Sunday's game against Tampa Bay was already important, but with Monday night's slip-up, the Packers need to get back on track, and quickly.