The Green Bay Packers’ stunning victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday was largely due to their defense. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott had a really tough time against the secondary as he was picked off twice in this Wild Card game, with cornerback Jaire Alexander picking him off twice.
Sadly, Alexander didn’t appear to be seen down the stretch when he seemed to re-injure his injured ankle. After the game, head coach Matt LaFleur gave a worrisome report on the standout CB.
LaFleur informed reporters If the game hadn’t been a blowout for the majority of the second half, Alexander wouldn’t have been permitted to return. That indicates that any minor adjustments he made to the injury were not insignificant.
All week, there was uncertainty around Alexander’s availability for Sunday’s game against Dallas. On Wednesday, he was classified as limited. On Thursday and Friday, he logged DNPs. That gave rise to immediate concerns that he wouldn’t fit in.
Though Alexander had the dubious tag going into the day, he seemed good enough to play in the pregame warm-ups. He appeared pain-free after his amazing diving interception of Prescott, but with about five minutes remaining, he tackled Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks and collapsed in obvious anguish.
When Alexander left the game, Green Bay was ahead 34–10. After its leader was removed, the secondary let up and surrendered three touchdowns, giving Dallas a chance to rally. Though it’s obvious the Packers missed their hero when he was on the sidelines, no one was ever truly concerned.
One of the main pregame narratives for LaFleur’s team will center on Alexander’s health for the Divisional Round clash against the San Francisco 49ers. It would be far more likely for them to extend their season by one week if they had the skilled corner on the field to help slow down the 49ers’ excellent receiving corps.
