The Green Bay Packers will be without two of their preferred starters at cornerback on Sunday night at Lumen Field when they face Seattle Seahawks receivers Jaxon Smith-Njigba, DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
Matt LaFleur’s team ruled out Jaire Alexander and Javon Bullard in Week 15.
While LaFleur wouldn’t divulge personnel details, there’s a good chance Carrington Valentine and Eric Stokes will start the game on the bench and Keisean Nixon will be on the field against the Seahawks.
A lingering injury and a modern injury will leave the Packers struggling at cornerback against a great trio of wide receivers.
Alexander, who practiced fully on Wednesday and Thursday, did not show enough physicality during two practices to prove to the Packers that he was ready to play. LaFleur said Alexander did not meet certain thresholds, including pitch speed required to play, so the two-time All-Pro guard will miss his fourth straight game and seventh overall this season.
Bullard suffered an ankle injury last Thursday night in Detroit and did not practice all week. The Packers do not believe he has suffered a long-term or significant injury, but Bullard, who has played at least 70 percent of the defensive snaps in 11 of 13 games this season, will miss at least one game during his recovery.
Alexander’s inability to return combined with Bullard’s modern injury almost certainly means the Packers will have to move Nixon from the perimeter back to the field, with Valentine and Stokes as full-time players on the outside. LaFleur said earlier this week that he plans to continue a rotation between Valentin and Stokes, but the injury situation will likely require both to be in the starting lineup on Sunday night.
Stokes has struggled to stay on the field for most of the season, but the Packers continue to create opportunities for him. Other options include Corey Ballentine, who practiced fully on Friday after suffering a knee injury, and Robert Rochell, who is, above all else, an exceptional player.
The challenge on the other hand is obvious.
Smith-Njigba, a first-round pick in the 2023 draft, has blossomed into one of the NFL’s teenage stars. He leads the team with 75 catches for 911 yards and five touchdowns and is one of just four receivers – the others being Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb – to catch at least 75 passes for at least 900 yards and five scores this season. Smith-Njigba is currently on a five-game streak with at least 70 receiving yards. He’s a challenge for anyone and it’s clear he has chemistry with Geno Smith.
The Seahawks also have Metcalf, a physically dominant receiver who can win on the field, and Lockett, a veteran with a knack for running routes. Metcalf is averaging 15.0 yards per catch; Lockett is averaging 8.1 yards per target. They made way for Smith-Njibga, but both are still effective players.
The Seahawks are one of the most passing teams in football. Smith ranks second in the NFL in attempts and completions heading into Week 15.
The antidote to coverage question marks is a forceful four-man pass rush, but it’s increasingly uncertain whether the Packers will have the pass rush needed to cover up coverage issues this season. The Seahawks had issues protecting Smith, but he wasn’t sacked last week either.
Can the Packers – without their top cornerback and preferred cornerback – match the Seahawks in pass coverage? That answer could determine whether LaFleur’s team flies home to Green Bay at 10:4 or 9:17.
