Two Miami Hurricanes DBs Make PFF’s Team of the Week, Kinchens Named Player of the Week
In Miami’s 35-14 dismissal of Georgia Tech, nearly every facet of the Canes’ game was clicking but one unit on the team was especially impactful.
The secondary dominated the day suffocating Georgia Tech’s air attack and picking passes off all over the field. Two of Miami’s defensive backs, safety Kamren Kinchens and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, have been recognized by Pro Football Focus for their efforts, both being named to PFF’s Team of the Week.
The fact that Miami accounted for half of the four defensive backs selected to the PFF list is a great sign as the secondary was an area that struggled early this season. Now, they look like on of the most polished and talented units on the team. Kinchens and Stevenson were imperative to the Hurricanes’ win, without them, who knows what the final result may have been. Stevenson looked as pro-ready as ever, finishing with a pass deflection and a tackle for loss, but it was Kinchens who stole the show on Saturday.
The sophomore safety had eight tackles, a tackle for loss, a pass deflection, and three interceptions. That would be a good sophomore season for most people, let alone a single game. PFF dubbed Kinchens the Defensive Player of the Week and called his showing “arguably the best defensive performance of the 2022 season — and one of the best of the past few years”. He graded out at 94.5 for the contest, one of the best marks possible, and took hold of the FBS lead in interceptions. Two more picks this season would tie him with NFL Hall of Fame Ed Reed for fifth-most in a single Miami season.
There’s at least two games left for the Canes, so both Stevenson and Kinchens will be eager to replicate their production from this past weekend. With such a young secondary, that Hurricanes’ unit could flourish into one of the best in the country next season.
The Hurricanes travel to Clemson on Saturday.
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