Packers CB Jaire Alexander on botched Justin Jefferson game plan

Jaire Alexander said that the decision to not put him on Justin Jefferson in Week 1 was the Packers coaches' decision.

The Green Bay Packers will have nightmares about Justin Jefferson for a long time after their Week 1 loss against the Minnesota Vikings. The star wide receiver opened his third season with a bang, going for 184 yards on 9 catches. It was a performance that threatened Green Bay's spot on top of the NFC North food chain.

What's even more confusing about this performance, though, is the Packers' game-plan against Justin Jefferson. Instead of sticking star cornerback Jaire Alexander on the Vikings star, Green Bay elected to double Jefferson without Alexander. Clearly, though, that didn't work. After the game, Alexander revealed that he asked if he could take on Jefferson one-on-one, to no avail. (via Nicole Menner)

“Game plan was to not allow 18 to beat us…Why I wasn’t on him, that’s not my call. Anybody watch me play, you know that’s what I want.” – Jaire Alexander on why he wasn’t on Justin Jefferson.

— Nicole Menner (@NicoleMenner) September 12, 2022

Jaire Alexander to me and @RobDemovsky postgame on coaches not having him shadow Justin Jefferson: "All week, (I was) asking for that matchup. But it ain't about me. It's about the team. It ain't about me. If it was my way, you know what I would be doing."

— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) September 12, 2022

Sometimes, some decisions should be done without even thinking about it. It seems like the Packers overthought their problem with Jefferson and tried to get creative with their solution. Sticking second-year cornerback Eric Stokes against the juggernaut that is Jefferson is unfathomable, especially when you have one of the best lockdown corners in the league in Alexander.

While the defense had their miscues, it was the offense's putrid showing that garnered all the attention. The Packers offense, led by Aaron Rodgers, looked like a shell of it's former self. That has to be a worrying sign for Green Bay, who lost Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling in the offseason.

This season isn't going to be a cakewalk for the Packers like the previous seasons. Their division rivals have gotten better, and they downgraded in key positions. They'll need to dig deep for them to retain their title as the top dog of the NFC North.