Kool-Aid McKinstry is walking into Monday night with the kind of confidence you want from your CB1.
The New Orleans Saints cornerback is staring down a major assignment against the Atlanta Falcons and wide receiver Drake London, who just delivered the best game of his career. McKinstry knows the challenge is coming, but he’s not sounding like a player looking for help. He’s sounding like a corner ready for the next snap.
That belief starts with Brandon Staley. The Saints defensive coordinator said McKinstry has kept stacking good work, even while working through the usual ups and downs that come with playing the position.
"He's been one of those guys really bringing a lot of energy; you guys see him out there, and you can see his confidence," Staley said to the media. "He's been making consistent improvement every week, no matter what.
Whether it was a great performance or a performance where he'd like to have a few plays back, he's made a lot of progress. So we just need to stay the course that way."
McKinstry has given the Saints plenty to like through three weeks. He has four pass breakups and is on pace for 22, which would be a career best and would have led the league last year. He matched that total of passes defended in his last game against the Falcons, and now he gets another crack at Atlanta in primetime.
This is McKinstry’s first full season as the Saints’ top corner, a role previously held by Paulson Adebo and Alontae Taylor. He’s flashed the upside that made him such an important piece, but there have also been growing pains. Brock Bowers had a big day against him, a reminder that life at the top of the depth chart comes with tough lessons.
Now comes another one. Atlanta’s offense finally found some rhythm last week in Green Bay, piling up 498 yards.
London was the star of the show, finishing with 194 receiving yards on 10 targets. That kind of downfield success is the kind of thing the Falcons will keep leaning on if it keeps working, which means McKinstry has to be ready for a vertical test.
He doesn’t sound rattled.
"I know who I am. I'm very confident about who I am, and I know what kind of athlete/football player I am and could be, so I definitely look forward to those challenges."
The volume hasn’t been there much this season. McKinstry has been on the field for every snap - 205 of them - but quarterbacks have only thrown his way about 6% of the time, with 12 targets so far.
That could change Monday if Atlanta decides to make him a focal point. Either way, McKinstry says he’s ready, and the Saints are counting on that confidence showing up when the ball goes in the air.
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Jordan has topped two sacks in a game seven times in his career, and four of those outings came against Atlanta, a reminder of how often he seemed to find his best against the Saints most familiar foe. He also owns the record for the most sacks against Matt Ryan, all of them coming in games against the Falcons, which is the kind of detail that still lingers whenever these teams meet. [Read more 🡒]