Following a humbling home loss to the Detroit Lions, the Green Bay Packers will head to Vegas for what ideally will be a get-right game. The schedule continues to ease Jordan Love into his first season at the helm. On Monday night, he will face off against a far more mortal Jimmy Garoppolo than Green Bay is used to, because Garoppolo will be bereft of Kyle Shanahan and his star-studded roster. Garoppolo’s history against the Green and Gold is far from the only crossover between the two teams (nor is it the most intriguing).
Brothers Anders and Daniel Carlson will face off in the kicking battle. Special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia will make his return to Vegas. And, of course, Davante Adams will face his former team for the first time since last offseason’s blockbuster trade. Former teammate Jaire Alexander will lineup across from him. Even though this will be their first official showdown, Davante and Jaire are familiar with one another, having matched up on the practice field for years.
Alexander was not shy about his desire to handle the league’s top receiver on his own. “I can’t miss this matchup,” he told reporters after Thursday’s practice. “Isn’t really too much to say. Just gotta go out there and do it…. He’s the best in the league. He’s just quick. I could go on and on, but he’s the best. I’m gonna leave it at that.”
Adams expressed a similar sentiment, albeit more succinctly, saying, “I didn’t create that monster, but he definitely turned into one.” A full shadowing assignment is rare in the modern NFL. But it seems like something Alexander is counting on, and it should be quite the show.
Both stars are nursing injuries ahead of Monday’s contest. Adams took a hit to the shoulder last Sunday in Los Angeles but returned and finished the game after an injection. Alexander missed last Thursday’s drubbing at Lambeau with a back injury. Based on the embarrassing performance by Joe Barry’s unit, they could’ve used their best player. However, it was David Montgomery and the ground game, not Amon-Ra St. Brown, wreaking the most havoc.
Dan Campbell’s offensive line hammered Barry’s 4-2-5 formations. And in his defense, it’s not like anyone was getting off blocks. Having Alexander back in the fold is crucial to freeing up the front seven to make plays. Josh McDaniels may be struggling to find his footing as an NFL head coach, but it’s hard to imagine he and Josh Jacobs aren’t salivating at last week’s film. According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, inside linebacker De’Vondre Campbell will likely be out, leaving Quay Walker as the only real contact-seeking run-stopper on the entire unit.
One of the greatest assets that a stud corner like Alexander provides is the ability to put him on an island and dedicate more energy to the box. Against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2, that path to victory was clear. Still, the run defense got dragged nonetheless, and Drake London burned Alexander in a few crucial moments. The eighth-overall pick in 2022, London is no slouch. But what Adams will command is a few levels above that. We’ve seen Alexander rise to these types of challenges, most notably when he mercilessly locked down Justin Jefferson in Week 17 of last season. Whether he can do so will largely dictate whether the underperforming defense can carry a jolt of momentum into the early bye.
Alexander’s return from a two-week absence isn’t the only upcoming reinforcement to the Packers’ secondary. Eric Stokes is expected to make his long-awaited return in the coming weeks. One of the main reasons Green Bay’s defense has been so disappointing year after year is the incredible number of first-round picks that have been dedicated to the unit (12 of the last 13, with Love being the exception). Between the aforementioned duo and Rasul Douglas, cornerback will be the clear strength of the defense down the stretch. Hopefully, it will provide a much-needed lift and make it easier to solve the problems up front.
With some of the bright spots they’ve shown, and some awful performances in the division, the Packers have seen their odds of an NFC North title increase to +380, per DraftKings. While the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears have fallen below them, Detroit extended their lead significantly after their statement win. Green Bay will head into Vegas even on the moneyline, which is far from where they wanted to be. However, this game presents an opportunity to make a statement by bouncing back emphatically. All eyes will be on the E-ticket matchup on the outside and, given the reverberations it will have throughout Green Bay’s struggling defense, it could have a heavy influence in deciding the outcome of this pivotal game.
