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 thought our defense was flying around today,” Alexander said. “I thought we looked much better than we did last week.”
During one 11-on-11 period, Alexander intercepted a pass from Jackson intended for center Charlie Kolar. Moments later, Jackson attempted a deep pass to Rashod Bateman, but good over-the-top coverage by Xavier McKinney forced the pass to go.
Although Green Bay’s defense had several spectacular wins, it was the defense that stole the day. According to Matt Schneidman of The AthleticThe passer pressure made it much harder for Jackson to run the offense in the red zone, and he continued to put pressure on the offense in subsequent periods of 11-on-11 play.
It was a huge step for the Packers after a few ponderous days in Denver. It could have been the altitude, but their performances last week suggested that no one wanted to compete. The consensus from last Friday’s practice was that the Broncos were dominant. There was no debate about who was better than who when the two teams faced off the next day, as Denver routed Green Bay 27-2 in Week 2 of the preseason, much to Matt LaFleur’s chagrin.
“Of course, I was hoping our guys would come out with more effort, more effort, more determination after being humiliated in practice,” LaFleur said. “And then for that to happen again, that’s not something you want.”
After the game, LaFleur told his team to take a long, difficult look in the mirror and ask themselves if they’re putting in their best effort. When you’re not, you feel humiliated.
The Packers desperately needed a mighty performance in their next practice against a Baltimore team with high expectations heading into the 2024 season. The Ravens are a legitimate AFC contender, which is one reason Alexander was encouraged by what he saw Thursday.
“That was super important. I think it gave everybody a little more confidence,” he said. “We know the Ravens are a team that crushes, so we knew that coming in that maybe they were going to try to intimidate us, but I don’t think the guys let that happen today, especially on our side of the ball.”
Green Bay will face Baltimore in its final preseason game on Saturday. It is unclear at this time if any of the 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 meet will be 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 problem meeting Jackson on the NFL’s biggest stage.
“I always joke with him and say, ‘When are we going to see each other in the Super Bowl, man,’” Alexander said. “I think that time is coming soon.”
