The Green Bay Packers have a do-or-die matchup with the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night that will determine their ability to make the 2023 NFL Playoffs. Both NFC North rivals are 7-8 and currently outside of the top seven playoff seeds in the conference. The winner will keep their postseason hopes alive while the loser will be all but eliminated.
If the Packers win, and if they then defeat the Chicago Bears in Week 18 to finish the season 9-8, they have a 95% chance to make the playoffs. Making it back to the postseason in the first year of the Jordan Love Era would certainly be an impressive accomplishment, especially considering everything the team has gone through this season.
Unlike the 2022 Packers that were led by Aaron Rodgers, the young offense has shown resiliency and has grown together despite being plagued by numerous serious injuries. Indeed, the Packers’ success this season is a direct result of the vision that Brian Gutekunst and Matt LaFleur had for the offense coming to fruition.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about their vision on defense. Joe Barry, the embattled and unpopular defensive coordinator, has justifiably come under fire this season for his non-sensical schemes and play-calling. The Packers’ latest a game, a too-close-for-comfort win against the Carolina Panthers, once again highlighted the defense’s futility to stop even the worst NFL offense.
Green Bay Packers Cornerback Jaire Alexander Was Suspended After the Carolina Panthers Game
Of course, the biggest story that came out of the Carolina game was that two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander made himself a team captain for the game, went out for the coin toss (with the support of his teammates), but almost blew the call. Apparently, this was the final straw of an ongoing series of issues coaches have been having with Alexander, and the decision was made to suspend him for Week 17.
The decision to suspend Alexander for the game against the Vikings could end up being a costly one. Justin Jefferson, one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, is back from injury and could be a big problem for the rest of Green Bay’s young corners. Still, the organization felt they needed to send a message to the players by suspending Alexander, who has had great success against Jefferson in the past.
Dallas Cowboys Star Defender Micah Parsons Believes the Green Bay Packers Went Over the Top by Suspending Jaire Alexander
Dallas Cowboys All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons has a podcast called The Edge that he does in coordination with Bleacher Report. In his latest episode, he discussed the Packers’ decision to suspend Alexander and had some pretty interesting opinions on the matter:
“The way I look at it, Jaire has been a leader of this team, he’s a franchise player for the Green Bay Packers. It’s almost as if, I think, he should have been a captain. Obviously, he’s from Charlotte, the coaches have that research and that knowledge, and they could have appointed him captain if they wanted to.
“They just chose not to make that decision and he made it for himself. You know, the main message that I heard from that and what he said was that the guys had his back. You know, obviously, if there was an agreement or whatever in that locker room where they felt like it was okay for him to do that and it didn’t matter, then I think it was okay.
“If that wasn’t their agreement, then obviously there should be some other kind of discussion. Obviously the coaches felt some type of way about it, but it kind of is what it is. I have no idea why. He’s just a man that wanted to be a captain and show his family why he was one of the best players for that franchise.
“And the work he has put in has shown that. I mean, this is an All Pro cornerback and he has given it all to Green Bay. So, I think the least they could have done is made him captain.
“I think they could have fined him. Especially since they’re playing the Vikings this week. This is a big game, they got Justin Jefferson out there. You hate to be in a [situation] where it’s like, ‘Oh, we lost because we didn’t have our best corner…’
“I think they could have fined him; I think the suspension may have been a little bit over the top.”
When LaFleur was asked about the decision to suspend Alexander, he said it is “never just one thing.” This means that there have been other incidents involving Alexander that played a roll in their decision, incidents that Parsons, nor fans for that matter, may be privy to.
That being said, a fine probably would have been a better course of action given what is at stake in Sunday’s game. By fining him, the Packers could have asserted their authority while still keeping him available.
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