Packers CB Jaire Alexander set to play vs. 49ers
Green Bay Packers star cornerback Jaire Alexander is set to play against the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs on Saturday night, according to NFL Network’s Bridget Condon. He’s been dealing with an ankle injury for multiple weeks.
The injury first occurred in practice leading up to the Packers’ first playoff game against Dallas. Alexander was questionable and managed to play, hauling in a first half interception. Alexander apparently re-aggravated the injury against the Cowboys, putting his status for Saturday night in question.
For a Packers defense that has struggled at points, Alexander’s presence is a boon against the top seed in the NFC.
Alexander was officially deemed questionable by the Packers heading into the weekend.
Despite his status, head coach Matt LaFleur said, “Hopefully he’ll be ready to go,” when asked about the star defender on Thursday.
Alexander is nursing an ankle injury from last week that he re-aggravated during Sunday’s Wild Card round matchup against Dallas. He had seven tackles (three solo) and an interception before exiting in the third quarter.
Despite the setback, Alexander was still in a joyous mood speaking with reporters after the game. He called Cowboys star Dak Prescott one of his “top QBs” after he snagged a pick in the victory.
“It was lit, honestly. There was no better feeling,” Alexander said. “There’s a few quarterbacks who’ve thrown me multiple picks in my career and Dak [Prescott] is now one of them. So, he’s among my top QBs.”
The fact that Alexander played last week despite his injury is a good indicator of whether or not he’ll rally for this weekend. He received treatment on his ankle “around the clock” from the time he suffered the injury up to game time.
Along with Alexander, running back AJ Dillon, linebacker Isaiah McDuffie, and punter Daniel Whelan are also questionable for Saturday’s game. Dillon, dealing with a thumb/neck injury, has been sidelined since Week 17. Green Bay’s ground game didn’t miss a beat without him, as the team rushed for 143 yards against Dallas.
NFC’s best awaits Packers in Divisional Round
Next up for the Packers is a daunting matchup against the 49ers, who earned a first-round playoff bye as a result of finishing the regular season as the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Like the Cowboys, the 49ers deploy a potent offense which finished second in total offense (398.4 yards per game) and third in scoring (28.9 points per game).
Regular season statistics didn’t matter much this past Sunday, as the Packers shut down Prescott and co. at every turn. That being said, San Francisco presents a great challenge, one LaFleur discussed.
“We know we’re going against one of the elite teams in the National Football League. Certainly the class of the NFC,” LaFleur said, via the team’s website. “They’ve got a lot of the same players they’ve had for a few years now, and they’ve added some other freak shows over there. We know it’s a great challenge, but it’s a great opportunity, as well.”
On3’s Nick Geddes and Nikki Chavanelle contributed to this report.