Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander was all smiles after Thursday’s joint practice with the Baltimore Ravens. Not only was Alexander reunited with his college teammate Lamar Jackson, but the defense had a much better day than it did during last week’s joint practice with the Denver Broncos.
“I think our defense flew around today,” Alexander said. “I think we looked much better from last week.”
During one of the 11-on-11 periods, Alexander broke up a pass from Jackson intended for tight end Charlie Kolar. A little while later, Jackson attempted a deep pass to Rashod Bateman, but good over-the-top coverage from Xavier McKinney forced an incompletion.
While Green Bay’s secondary made a few highlights, the defensive front stole the day. According to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic , the pass rush made running the offense extremely difficult for Jackson during the red zone period and would continue to generate pressure during the ensuing 11-on-11 periods.
It was an important step for the Packers following a poor couple of days in Denver. It could have been the altitude, but their performance from last week indicated that no one wanted to compete. The consensus from last Friday’s joint practice was that the Broncos dominated. There was no debate about who got the better of who when the two teams faced off the next day when Denver trounced Green Bay 27-2 in Week 2 of the preseason, much to the dismay of Matt LaFleur.
“Certainly, I was hoping our guys would come out with more strain, effort, grit after kind of getting humbled the other day in practice,” said LaFleur. “And then to have it happen again (is) not where you want to be.”
After the game, LaFleur told his team to take a good long look in the mirror and ask themselves if they were giving maximum effort. Because when you don’t, you get humbled.
The Packers desperately needed to come out strong in their next joint practice against a Baltimore team with high expectations for the 2024 season. The Ravens are legitimate contenders out of the AFC, which is part of why Alexander was encouraged by what he saw on Thursday.
“It was super important. I think it gave everybody a little more confidence,” he said. “We know the Ravens are a smashmouth team, so we already knew that coming in, that they were going to maybe try to bully us, but I don’t think guys allowed that today, especially on our side of the ball.”
Green Bay will face Baltimore for their final preseason game on Saturday. At the moment, it is still being determined if any starters will play.
Either way, the joint practice was a good measuring stick for the Packers. They responded well against a tough Ravens team with the reigning MVP at quarterback.
The next time these two teams would see each other is in the Super Bowl. Even if it’s not this year, both franchises are positioned to be in contention for the foreseeable future. Alexander would have no issues meeting up again with Jackson on the NFL’s biggest stage.
“I always joke with him and say, ‘When are we going to meet in the Super Bowl, man,’” said Alexander. “I think the time is coming soon.”
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