I sort of like the thought of NFL gamers attending to be an honorary captain of their hometown. It might be a pleasant contact. The hometown child performed good can obtain some love from his individuals. I’m fairly positive, although, that isn’t presently commonplace NFL process. For Jaire Alexander to walk out to midfield, uninvited after which have the audacity to make the decision on the coin toss, that’s presumptuous even for a cornerback.
When chatting with the media after the sport, he stated that he determined to stroll out with the captains simply previous to the beginning of the Green Bay Packers’ Week 16, 33-30 victory in opposition to the Carolina Panthers as a result of he’s from Charlotte. Alexander additionally known as the toss that day and received it. Nevertheless, he didn’t know what to say afterwards and virtually price the Packers an offensive possession.
“I said ‘I want our defense to be out there, and they all looked at me like I was crazy.” Alexander stated to the media. “I’m like, ‘I mean it’s pretty simple what I said.’ Like, I want the defense to be out there, and they’re like ‘do you mean defer?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah. I guess.’”
The referee bailed him out, as a result of if it was interpreted that Alexander was electing for his staff to start the sport with a kickoff, then the Panthers may have chosen to obtain the opening kick, and gotten it once more after halftime. The purpose of electing to defer is to place the onus on the loser of the toss to decide on to obtain the opening kick, thereby giving the successful staff the selection of which finish zone to defend in addition to the selection to obtain ball to start the second half. Alexander was a captain throughout his last season at Louisville in 2017, so I don’t understand how he forgot coin-toss protocol.
Not that I’m upset with him. His astonishment after seeing everybody inside arms attain of him taking a look at him like he simply slapped an award present presenter, created an image in my thoughts that I can go to every time I’ve a nasty day. On prime of that, I additionally came upon how a lot Packers followers dislike the staff’s defensive coordinator.
Perhaps Matt LaFleur discovered Alexander’s close to mistake humorous or perhaps not. The top coach of the Packers determined to droop the staff’s greatest cornerback for his or her Week 17 matchup in opposition to the Minnesota Vikings. The trigger, “conduct detrimental to the team.” On Wednesday, LaFleur advised the media “there’s standards that we’re all held accountable for.” Packers followers swooped in on Xwitter to query the place LaFleur’s requirements are for his struggling protection.
Apparently, defensive coordinator Joe Barry is within the canine home of most cheeseheads. Based on the house owners of the staff, the taxpayers of Inexperienced Bay, Wisc., accountability wants to begin with that yearly disappointing protection. Look within the quotes and replies of any submit in regards to the suspension. Packers followers would a lot moderately see accountability for a real institutional failure. A protection with probably the greatest move rushers within the NFL — Rashan Gary — can’t cease a Massive Wheel. Even the YouTube chat that accompanied LaFleur’s press convention on the platform was suffering from feedback wanting a change at defensive coordinator.
The Packers dedicated no turnovers in opposition to the two-win Panthers and nonetheless allowed 30 factors. One of many worst offenses within the NFL was down 14 factors with lower than 12 minutes left within the fourth quarter and nonetheless managed to tie the sport. No matter Alexander’s near-miss by the use of incompetence, the referees allowed the Packers to defer the opening kickoff. It was the Inexperienced Bay protection that allowed the Panthers to attain 22 factors within the second half.
Relating to the rationale for Alexander’s suspension, LaFleur stated to the media that “it’s never one thing,” whereas additionally denying that it had something to do with the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback lacking a big period of time in 2023 resulting from harm. He additionally stated that Alexander being suspended was not for him taking over unassigned pregame duties.
LaFleur doesn’t owe the general public any concrete rationalization for his resolution. That being stated, the general public also can let their hypothesis run wild about why one of many Packers’ highest-paid defensive gamers is suspended for the second-to-last recreation of the season when they’re nonetheless mathematically alive within the playoff hunt. Additionally, the why doesn’t matter.
The one goal fact going into Week 17 is that the Packers considered making their staff worse as an crucial transfer.
