Without Jaire Alexander, Packers’ Playoff Hopes Hinge on Eric Stokes, Carrington Valentine

Playing without Jaire Alexander, the Green Bay Packers’ defense was decimated by Jared Goff and Sam Darnold. Can they compete in the playoffs without their former All-Pro?

Green Bay Packers cornerback Carrington Valentine (24) runs with the ball after his interception against Minnesota Vikings. / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Jaire Alexander is not coming to the rescue for the Green Bay Packers.

If the Packers are going to make a run in this year’s playoffs, it will be without Alexander, who had surgery to address a knee injury originally sustained on Oct. 27.

That means the Packers will rely on the likes of Carrington Valentine, Eric Stokes and Keisean Nixon to handle the gauntlet of hot-shot quarterbacks waiting in the postseason

“It’s really next-man up mentality,” Valentine said on Wednesday. “We’re always going to go out there and compete and just put our best foot forward.”

Including Sunday’s Week 18 game against the Chicago Bears, the Packers will have played 68 games in the regular season. Alexander will have played in exactly half of those games – 34. That includes going 0-for-4 in this year’s NFC North losses against the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions.

“It’s been tough,” safety Xavier McKinney said. “Obviously, he’s dealt with this injury pretty much all year. Obviously, we wanted him to be back out there, but injuries are part of the game, so we understand that. We know that he was working to try to get back, but it’s like every time he was trying to, he would tweak it again. It’s a part of the game.”

Alexander’s inability to return to the lineup is a major blow to Green Bay’s playoff chances. Goff and Darnold in four games combined to complete 76.9 percent of their passes with 10 touchdowns and three interceptions. In their home games against the Packers, they completed 77.4 percent of their passes for 660 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions.

In the playoffs for the Packers? Nothing but road games. Nothing but high-quality quarterbacks and passing games.

Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley spoke of the importance of Alexander when it appeared he was going to return at Seattle a few weeks ago.

“When Ja is healthy, he’s one of the best corners in our league,” Hafley said at the time. “Week in and week out, when you’re playing against some premier players, sometimes it’s helpful to have a premier player to have out there with him.”

Do the Packers have enough premier players to be helpful against the potential wild-card opponents, the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts or the Rams’ Matthew Stafford? Or potential divisional-round opponents, Goff or Darnold?

“They stepped up a lot,” McKinney said. “I think everybody’s been ready to go, been prepared and prepared the right way. No matter when their name was called, during this situation, they were always ready to go.”

Valentine, who started 12 games as a rookie last year through the prolonged absences of Alexander and Stokes, has two interceptions the last three games. Four of his five pass breakups this season have come the last four weeks.

He wouldn’t say this is the best he’s played in his young career, though.

“I’m probably my biggest critic,” he said. “It’s always things to clean up, so I still feel like I’m still trending upwards. I still feel like there’s more to give, for sure.”

Stokes as a first-round pick in 2021 had a superb rookie season. Incredibly, though, he hasn’t broken up a pass the last three years. That’s 714 coverage snaps and counting.

He’s playing well, though. Over the last seven games, Pro Football Focus has charged Stokes with just seven completions allowed. He is second among NFL cornerbacks in coverage snaps per completion allowed during that span.

“I think he’s done a nice job, and we got to continue to build upon that and try to keep stacking good game after good game,” coach Matt LaFleur said.

Stokes had two chances at interceptions against the Vikings. On one, the ball went through the hands of Justin Jefferson but Stokes couldn’t make the play. The other came on a third-and-15 late in the game but Darnold’s pass was too high for Stokes and intended receiver Jordan Addison.

“I was mad,” Stokes said. “I was pissed off. I had two. I was supposed to have two.”

Nixon, forced out of his normal spot in the slot, has been competitive as a perimeter cornerback. Valentine has made some big plays and Stokes has stepped up his game.

More will be needed – tighter coverage, more big plays – with do-or-die football coming up.

“Basically just more attention to detail, communication, basically assignment, just those things in general,” Valentine said. “We’re there but, in our division, the margin for error is very slim.

Especially without one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.

Even though he’s played in only seven games and played just 35.2 percent of the snaps this season, he’s still second on the team with seven passes defensed. Among the corners who have played significant snaps, Alexander is No. 1 on the team with a 56.0 percent catch rate and 15.8 snaps per reception, according to PFF.

However, this will be the third time in four years that he played less than half the games.

Stokes understands what Alexander is going through.

Stokes suffered a foot injury at Detroit in 2022, which required season-ending surgery. The injury lingered into training camp in 2023, so he missed the start of the season and then served two stints on injured reserve due to recurring hamstring issues.

“Heck, yeah,” Stokes said. “I’ve been here with Ja, so I’ve seen Ja my rookie year out with a shoulder Week 4 vs. the Steelers. And then after that, it’s just little knick-knacks.

“I know how badly he wants to be out there. The moment I found out, I was just like, ‘Dang.’ I sent him a text. ‘I know how you feel. I know what type of player you is. I know you really want to be out there for us’ and all that stuff. He said, ‘Anything y’all need help with, just hit me. I’m going to be there.’”

Packers In Four Big Games Without Jaire Alexander

Here is how the Packers fared without Jaire Alexander in the four big NFC North games.

Sam Darnold vs. Packers, Week 4: 20-of-28 passing, 275 yards, three touchdowns, one interception.

Jared Goff vs. Packers, Week 9: 18-of-22 passing, 145 yards, one touchdown, zero interceptions.

Jared Goff vs. Packers, Week 14: 32-of-41 passing, 283 yards, three touchdowns, one interception.

Sam Darnold vs. Packers, Week 17: 33-of-43 passing, 377 yards, three touchdowns, one interception.

Total: 103-of-134 passing, 1,080 yards, 10 touchdowns, three interceptions. 76.9 percent passing, 115.3 passer rating, 0-4 record.

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