The Green Bay Packers are visiting the Chicago Bears in Week 11 to extend their winning streak over their bitter rivals to 11 games. The 4-5 Bears are hoping to get their season back on track after three straight losses that led to the firing of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. The Packers, on the other hand, want to continue their chase for the NFC North title.
When it comes to Packers-Bears showdowns, players usually don't need extra motivation. Players on both sides understand the significance of the rivalry and play accordingly. This is especially true for the Packers who have won 14 out of their last 15 matchups against Chicago.
Yet, that is not the case for one Packers standout. Offseason addition Xavier McKinney, who is preparing for his first Packers-Bears game, is preparing specifically to go up against DJ Moore. The star safety took issue with what the Bears wide receiver said in the offseason.
Per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, McKinney brought up the interview unprompted ahead of the Week 11 matchup.
"Obviously, you’ve got the rivalry itself, but there’s a clip somewhere out there where DJ Moore said something about … they were asking him about the Packers getting me and he was like, ‘Who?..."
- Xavier McKinney
To be fair, McKinney's recollection of the segment isn't entirely accurate. That is to be expected for a six-month-old interview. Moore doesn't specifically call out McKinney but it is understandable that the Packers star safety would use this as extra motivation.
"You know how people get before the season. They don’t really know what’s going to happen during the season and you just start talking too much and you don’t really know what you’re talking about. You’re just talking. "
- Xavier McKinney
McKinney has been one of the best safeties in the league so far, putting up six interceptions and only allowing a 50.3 passer rating when targeted, per PFF.
DJ Moore, on the other hand, is in the midst of a down season after a career campaign in 2023. Through nine games, he has 398 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He will look to turn his season around on Sunday but it's safe to say that the Packers secondary has the upper hand for now.
