Packers Snap Counts: Pass defense gets tested in Alexander’s return

The New York Giants didn’t exactly enter Sunday’s game in London against Green Bay with a vaunted passing attack. 

Quarterback Daniel Jones had yet to pass for 200 yards in any game this season, had only one passer rating of 88 or above in the Giants’ first four games – and that came in the opener – and was coming off an outing vs. Chicago in which he threw for 71 yards.

The Packers’ pass defense had been struggling, allowing a 96.4 rating to Tom Brady in Week 3 and 98.1 to Brian Hoyer and rookie Bailey Zappe (who had a 107.4 in his NFL debut) in Week 4. But Green Bay was getting back cornerback Jaire Alexander, who had to leave the first series in the Bucs game with a groin injury.

Alexander played every snap in the loss to New York … and didn’t necessarily play up to his usual standard as Jones completed 21 of 27 passes for 217 yards for a rating of 100.2

According to Pro Football Focus, Alexander lined up 51 times as a wide cornerback, once in the slot and nine times – as season high – in the box. He had five tackles and one missed tackle.

Alexander didn’t get burned deep, but according to PFF he allowed four receptions on four targets for 44 yards with 25 of those yards coming after the catch (a 112.5 opponent passer rating). Pro-football-reference has it as six targets for five completions for 40 yards with 26 YAC and a 94.4 passer rating. Alexander had allowed 16 yards after the catch combined in Weeks 1 and 2 according to PFF and 30 via pro-football-reference.

He didn’t get burned deep or give up a touchdown, but it maybe wasn’t Alexander’s best performance of the season in a game in what was clearly not Green Bay’s best effort of 2022 either.