The Green Bay Packers may have beaten the Carolina Panthers in Week 16 , but as what Jaire Alexander said, their performance was far from perfect and won’t cut it against top-rated teams.
Alexander revealed as much while talking to reporters postgame, offering his honest assessment of the team’s overall display in their 33-30 victory. The 26-year-old cornerback was asked whether or not it’s worrisome that they allowed 30 points to a team that has only won two games so far, to which he replied, yes.
“Yeah, it is, honestly. But we just gotta play the call that’s called,” Alexander noted, per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic.
Jaire Alexander did note that the Green Bay Packers had a “pretty good game plan” on defense, but in the end, the Carolina Panthers still scored a lot on them, highlighting their need for improvement.
The two-time Pro Bowl CB, who returned from a six-game absence due to a shoulder injury, also admitted that he himself has a lot to work on. Unfortunately for him, he was still bothered by the effects of his recent health setback.
“I could’ve been better, but when you are playing through injury, there are certain plays and things that you can and can’t do, so that’s the only thing that was bothering me,” Alexander added before noting, “What I got going on, a lot of people check out of the season.”
Should the Green Bay Packers Be Concerned Like Jaire Alexander Said?
For what it’s worth, Jaire Alexander did make some interesting points in his remarks about the Green Bay Packers’ defense. After all, the Carolina Panthers own a bottom five offense in the NFL this season.
There is a reason the Panthers have won just two games so far. Not only is their offense poor, but their defense is full of holes as well.
It’s not really surprising that the Packers dropped 33 on the Panthers. In fact, many might be wondering that they were only able to score that much considering that they are in the top half of the NFC in scoring.
The fact that the Panthers were able to score that much on them could be a symptom of a growing defensive problem. It’s the second straight game that they have allowed their opponents to score 30 or more points, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers destroying them in Week 15.
So far in the season, the Packers have only limited their opponents to one-digit scoring just once, against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 9.
The challenge is now for the Packers to find a solution on their defensive woes. They are still in the playoff picture, but they can’t dream to compete at the highest level if their defense is porous at best.
More must-reads: