For the longest time, Clay Matthews was the chief villain in the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers rivalry. Sure Aaron Rodgers is the focal point, but Matthews was the guy doing the little things that made everybody hate him. Somebody needed to fill that void after he left and that somebody was cornerback Jaire Alexander. In addition to being a good player, he took his villainy to new heights in September when he delivered an open shot at Bears fans when talking about the rivalry. “I always say, ‘Things could be a lot worse. I could be a Bears fan.’”
The fact he had the interception to put the game away two months ago made it even worse. So it’s been extra satisfying watching the Packers fall apart since then, especially the defense. Green Bay thought things were back on track. They’d managed a big comeback win over Dallas on Sunday in overtime. All they had to do was beat an offensively-challenged Tennessee Titans, and it would be off to the races. Instead, the Packers were soundly beaten on their own field 27-17, with Ryan Tannehill torching them for 333 yards and two touchdowns.
Things didn’t start well for Alexander, who earned the annoyance of fans with questionable effort late in the first half.
It gets better.
Needing a stop in the 4th quarter with two minutes left, Tennessee decided to gamble by targeting Alexander on a deep shot to rookie receiver Treylon Burks. Not only was the pass completed, but Burks basically dragged the Pro Bowl for several additional yards before finally going down after a 51-yard gain. After the play, Burks looked down at Alexander and extended his hand, indicating he was “too small.”
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Watching Jaire Alexander suffer is always a treat.
Good players like him don’t have ugly games too often, making watching them even better. This was supposed to be the game that ignited Green Bay’s usual late-season surge. They’d done it multiple times in the past. No doubt they had visions of 2016 when they started 4-6 only to finish 10-6 and reach the NFC championship. The problem is that turnaround was guided by a great defensive effort where they allowed 13, 13, and 10 points in the first three wins of that six-game streak.
This current version of the defense has allowed at least 23 points in seven of their last eight games. That is especially humiliating considering the unit started the season with seven 1st round picks on it. Jaire Alexander talks a big game and can back it up most of the time. Unfortunately, that confidence hasn’t led to much team success lately. He’s had to get used to heartbreak with three brutal playoff exits since 2019, and now the very real prospect of missing the postseason for only the second time in his career. What a shame.
