Green Bay Packers

Green Bay's Defense Is Finally Taking On Jaire Alexander's Personality

Photo credit: William Glasheen-PackersNews via USA TODAY Sports

How many times has the following played out during the Aaron Rodgers era?

The Green Bay Packers defense struggles, stays quiet, tucks its tail between its legs, and crosses its fingers for the offense to pull a rabbit out of the hat. On many occasions, Rodgers and Co. did just that.

Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

That hasn’t been the case during this win streak as the Packers push for the final playoff spot in the NFC. This defense has been loud, cocky, in your face, and generally taking after the personality of their star cornerback, Jaire Alexander.

Alexander broke up a pass in the first quarter in Week 17 against Minnesota superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Following the pass breakup, Alexander did Jefferson’s patented Griddy dance in a boisterous fashion.

Green Bay wasn’t up a bunch at this point. Yet, Alexander did this in the first quarter with all the confidence in the world. It could’ve awakened Jefferson, who doesn’t need the motivation and lets his play speak for itself. Instead, on this particular Sunday — and throughout these last four wins — the Green Bay defense kept jawing and playing with abundant flair while providing plenty of entertainment.

Joe Barry’s defense has been flat, soft, and lacking zest over the past two seasons. At the beginning of this year, they couldn’t force turnovers to save their lives, and Barry often had his cornerbacks playing so far off the line of scrimmage that you could see the yellow first-down line on television before you’d see a Packers corner pop up on the screen.

Ever since Alexander provided the Philadelphia Eagles fans with a “double bird” in a loss that dropped Green Bay to 4-8 on the season, things have changed.

Green Bay has ripped off four in a row. Through the first 12 games, the defense forced 12 total turnovers. During this four-game surge, they’ve forced another 12.

Follow the leader, as they say. That’s what this defense has done with Alexander.

Take cornerback Rasul Douglas for instance. Douglas was a mid-season practice-squad scoop-up in 2021 who flourished for the Packers and earned a fresh contract extension this past offseason. He hasn’t been one to necessarily mince words, but during this winning streak, either. Alexander let loose with his words, and Douglas followed suit.

After the win against Minnesota, Douglas was asked when he looked at the Vikings and knew the game was over.

His response?

“We knew it was over from the jump. We knew as soon as we went out there and got the goal-line stand, it was over.”

If you were given the quote and had to guess which Packer said it, Alexander would be the top candidate.

Follow the leader.

How about safety Rudy Ford‘s interception of Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins in the fourth quarter? It’s not the play itself; it’s what happened afterward.

Take a look for yourself.

Just about the entire defense started barking at Jefferson on the sidelines while bouncing up and down like a bunch of kids who see the ice cream truck coming down the street. Sure seems like something you’d see from Alexander. Now, we’re seeing it from the entire defense.

You can see it on the field with the energy, the arrogance, and the confidence. This defense is playing and acting differently than it has all season. It all lines up to when Alexander really started chirping and then intercepted Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields at the outset of this winning streak.

He followed that up with an interception of Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on Christmas. Alexander did “the waddle” as he exited the field following the Packers’ win.

Will this all come back to bite this defense in the backend? Time will tell. One certainty is that Green Bay fans have been starving for this for years. Starving for a Packers team that didn’t have to rely on Rodgers to do most of the work. Starving for a defense that played with an edge and a “screw you” attitude.

Perhaps it’s the state of desperation that brought this all along or at least some of it. Green Bay was 4-8 and left for dead, with a 3% chance to make the postseason after the loss to the Eagles. Fast-forward four games later, and the Packers are in a win-and-in scenario against the Detroit Lions on Sunday night.

The Packers had become accustomed to being a lock for the playoffs, and it’s possible complacency set in with the defenses during those years even though, again, it shouldn’t have because it isn’t as though they were lights-out.

This year has been different for many reasons, and the biggest change is the swagger this defense has been playing with during this hot streak. It all aligns with their star corner, Jaire Alexander. This defense has been shaped by his personality.

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