Green Bay Packers: 3 Matchups to watch in Week Two
By Kenny Jilek
Jaire Alexander vs. Marvin Jones Jr.
In the one game that Marvin Jones Jr. played against the Packers last season, Jaire was his primary defender with Kevin King on Kenny Golladay. Jones made just two catches for 17 yards, the exact same numbers that Jake Kumerow had in that game. Now, this wasn’t all Jaire, because there was plenty of zone coverage mixed in, but for all intents and purposes, he got shut down.
This time around, Jones is even more crucial to the success of this Lions offense because of Golladay’s injury. Their other weapons in the passing game include former Wisconsin Badger, Quintez Cephus, slot receiver Danny Amendola, and second-year tight end T.J. Hockenson. Cephus had a nice debut, Amendola is a serviceable slot player, and Hockenson was a first-round draft pick, but none of them have the tools to carry an offense.
If Jaire can keep Jones under five catches and 75 yards in this game, the Lions will be in real trouble. If he keeps him to similar numbers as their meeting last season, you can pretty much call this game a wrap, unless something else goes terribly wrong.
Last week, Alexander was a huge factor in the win, having the sack that resulted in a safety and later an interception. Adam Thielen got his catches in, mostly underneath when the Packers were playing soft zones, but he did beat Jaire over the top for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Meanwhile, Jones was very average with four catches on eight targets for 55 yards. The NFL is all about the perimeter and the passing game, and this matchup is the number one guys in a vital rematch of last season.