Who had the better INT: Xavien Howard or Kenny Moore?

As a defensive player, anytime you’re able to force a turnover, it doesn’t matter how pretty the play is. If the ball is tipped off a receiver, nearly falls to the ground, and you trip all over yourself to get to the ball quite accidentally… well, your teammates may give you grief on film day, but it’s still an interception in the stats.

That said, we do want to recognize those plays that combine defensive efficiency with style points. On Sunday, two high-level cornerbacks had amazing interceptions that combined ridiculous timing, body control, and catch-point accuracy.

First, there was Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard, who got his league-best ninth interception against Patrick Mahomes with 14:25 left in the game, a 33-27 win for the Chiefs despite Mahomes’ three picks on the day. On this play, Mahomes was trying to fade the ball to Tyreek Hill, and Howard just wasn’t having it.

Put it in a museum, indeed. With that, Howard became the first player with nine picks in a season since Chicago’s Tim Jennings did it in 2012, he’s had a pick in each of his last five games, and he’s five off the single-season record set by Lions Hall of Famer Dick “Night Train” Lane in 1954 — though Lester Hayes of the Raiders had 13 picks in the 1980 regular season, and five more in the playoffs. In any event, Howard is balling out as never before, and this play is sure evidence of that.

Not to be outdone was Kenny Moore of the Colts, the outside/slot defender who’s been one of the league’s more underrated players at his position(s) for a while now. In fact, he’s a champ both on and off the field.

How Colts cornerback Kenny Moore II helped save a young man’s life

Moore came into the Colts’ Sunday game against the Raiders with three picks, but he was just as athletic as Howard on this ridiculous pick of Derek Carr, who was trying to hit tight end Darren Waller in the end zone. Waller is 6-foot-6 and Moore is 5-foot-9, but guess who won this one?

Whose pick was better? We’ll call it a draw and appreciate ’em both.