The Green Bay Packers defense had a fairly good game against the Dallas Cowboys in their 48-32 victory on the road in the NFL wild card round. While Dallas put up over 30 points, something they have done often at home this season, over half of them came in the fourth quarter after Green Bay had already built a commanding lead.
For a team that has struggled against the run this season, the Packers were able to keep the Cowboys’ running game in check. Of course, the fact that Dallas was playing from behind for the entire game helped that cause, but it cannot be ignored that the Packers’ run defense held Pro Bowl running back Tony Pollard to just 56 yards on 15 carries.
While the passing defense gave up large chucks of yards and scores in the fourth quarter, they played extremely well for 55 minutes of the game, intercepting Dak Prescott twice. Darnell Savage took the second of these picks back for a touchdown, the ninth pick-six in Green Bay postseason history and first since 2012.
The first interception came at the hands of Jaire Alexander, who has battled injuries all season long. His recent ankle injury in practice made him a game-time decision heading into the contest against the Cowboys, and aggravating it later in the game caused him to miss part of the second half. His injuries and personality during interviews have drawn a great deal of criticism this year, and some have even questioned whether or not Alexander is committed to the Packers.
Green Bay Packers Defensive Tackle Kenny Clark Defends Jaire Alexander
During an appearance on a Dallas radio station last week, reporter Rob Demovsky, who covers the Packers for ESPN, was quoted as saying:
“I think [Jaire is great] when he wants to be and when he’s fully engaged. And I’m just not sure that’s where he is right now. It’s been a weird, weird run for him, and I could say a weird dude to finish that sentence. He’s a different guy.
“I still think he’s a good player, I just don’t think he’s ever going to be the player he was in 2020-2021 when he was an All-Pro guy.”
After the game against the Cowboys, Packers defensive lineman Kenny Clark fired back at Demovsky and others who questioned Alexander this season:
“Ja is elite. Ja is one of the best corners in this game. … The story ain’t changed with him. Every time he’s out there, he’s making an impact and helping our team get better. We love him. We love having him out there for the team.”
While the noise on social media from fans and content creators may have been all about moving on from Alexander after the season, it certainly seems like the coaches and players plan on having him around for a long time.
Jaire Alexander Makes the Green Bay Packers’ Defense Better
As mentioned, Alexander left the game early due to aggravating his ankle injury. Still, he was able to play 52 snaps and was only targeted three times. Alexander allowed just two receptions for 25 yards and had the interception mentioned above.
PFF gave Alexander a 82.8 defensive grade, the second-highest on the team behind only Darnell Savage (92.1). The fact of the matter is that while Alexander was on the field, the Cowboys’ passing attack was all but stalled. He takes so much off the table for opposing quarterbacks, forcing them to alternate reads and, by extension, allowing the pass rush more time to create pressure.
2023 may have been an injury-plagued season, but the last time Alexander missed the majority of a season due to injury, he came back the next season to be an All Pro and Pro Bowler.
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