Packers corners expect another chippy game as they aim to limit A.J. Brown and the Eagles’ passing game
A.J. Brown burned the Packers in Brazil, and their secondary might be without Jaire Alexander, but it is up for the challenge of limiting the Eagles.
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The last time the Eagles faced the Green Bay Packers in the regular-season opener in São Paulo, Brazil, the playing surface wasn’t the only rugged aspect of the game.
The matchup between A.J. Brown and Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander became increasingly chippy as the contest progressed. At one point late in the second quarter, Alexander punctuated an incomplete pass from Jalen Hurts intended for Brown by pushing the receiver as he attempted to get up from the ground.
A shoving match ensued, but Brown ultimately got the best of the cornerback in the Eagles’ 34-29 win. He finished the night with five receptions for 119 yards, including a 67-yard catch-and-run touchdown with Alexander in coverage.
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There will be no rematch in Sunday’s wild-card game between the two teams. Alexander, a two-time Pro Bowler, tore his PCL in late October and underwent knee surgery two months later, which is expected to end his season. Since Alexander went down, 27-year-old cornerback Keisean Nixon has taken more snaps on the outside compared to his typical post in the slot. Nixon and Carrington Valentine, the 2023 seventh-rounder out of Kentucky, are expected to start on the outside with the goal of limiting Brown and DeVonta Smith.
Even without Alexander, the 5-foot-10, 200-pound Nixon doesn’t expect the wild-card showdown to be any less heated, especially when lined up across from Brown.
“They was going at it,” Nixon said Thursday. “So I’m sure it’s going to be the same with me.”
Nixon is well-acquainted with the challenges presented by Brown, who he called one of the “top two” receivers in the NFL. The respect and familiarity are mutual — Brown called Nixon a “really good corner” on Friday. The 27-year-old receiver was a junior at Ole Miss when Nixon was a senior cornerback at South Carolina in 2018 when the two teams faced each other.
South Carolina traveled to Oxford, Miss. and “beat the hell” out of the Rebels, according to Nixon, in a 48-44 victory. But Brown made his fair share of plays, including a 46-yard reception with Nixon trailing in coverage. Come Sunday, whenever Nixon lines up opposite Brown, the cornerback won’t back down from what he expects to be a physical matchup based on his past experiences.
“If he’s going to be physical, I’m going to be physical,” Nixon said. “I’m going to be physical regardless, so I’m sure he’ll be physical, too. It’s going to be a lot of trash talk, I’m sure. It’s just football. It is what it is.”
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Valentine, the 6-foot, 189-pound cornerback, echoed a similar sentiment: “With him, just my game, it kind of already mirrors him, ‘cause I’m already physical how it is. So honestly just be myself.”
Both cornerbacks aspire to a better result for the Packers defense this time around. Just as the Eagles offense has evolved since Week 1, the Green Bay defense has steadily improved under new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. The secondary ranks third in the league in passing expected points added per play allowed (-0.13), trailing the Eagles (-0.17) and the Denver Broncos (-0.18).
The group has been particularly effective in recent weeks as it has increased its use of zone coverages. The Packers defense played zone coverage at the second-highest rate in the NFL after the team’s Week 10 bye, according to Next Gen Stats, which is an increase from 73.8% in Weeks 1-9 (No. 10). The Packers’ -48.0 passing expected points allowed in zone is the fewest in the NFL since Week 11. Even without Alexander, Hurts touted the strength of the Packers secondary.
“I think they’ve got a lot of confidence in what they do and who they have out there,” Hurts said Friday. “Obviously, Jaire’s a great player, but they’ve got a lot of great defensive backs.”
Statistically speaking, though, the Packers aren’t quite as stingy without Alexander. Per Next Gen Stats, Green Bay permitted a 9.7% lower completion percentage with Alexander on the field (61.0%) compared to when he is off it (70.7%) in 2024. Additionally, opposing quarterbacks completed just seven touchdown passes and threw eight interceptions (77.5 passer rating) with Alexander in action, compared to 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions (95.3 passer rating) when he has been out.
While the numbers reflect a drop-off in quality of coverage, Nixon said that the secondary has stepped up in Alexander’s absence.
“Just next-man-up mentality,” Nixon said. “It don’t matter who’s out there. We’ve got to play ball. For me, I’ve been doing it. It’s not like I’m a rookie or I’m a young guy. Me sliding outside is just another opportunity for me.”
Nixon and the Packers have a difficult postseason road ahead as the No. 7 seed in the NFC. They are eyeing the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance since the 2010 season, which also included a stop at the Linc in the wild-card round. While the Packers might be the youngest team in the playoffs for a second straight year, Nixon said the group is “built for” its matchup against a talented Eagles team.
“It’s a challenge, but it’s something we can live with, especially us in the back end,” Nixon said. “We don’t care who they got or who we see. We’re going to play the best and we’re going to be the best. It just is what it is.”
The Eagles play in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs against the Green Bay Packers. Join Eagles beat reporters Olivia Reiner and EJ Smith as they dissect the hottest story lines surrounding the team on Gameday Central, live from Lincoln Financial Field.