GREEN BAY, Wis. — Houston Texans huge receiver Stefon Diggs stated “I am by no means the larger individual,” relating to his heated pregame scuffle with Inexperienced Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander.
Roughly 20 minutes earlier than the Packers and Texans kicked off, Diggs and Alexander had a heated change on the sector by the Packers’ sideline. Seconds later, a big group of Packers joined the verbal altercation as Diggs was the lone Texan, which become somewhat little bit of pushing and shoving.
Diggs stated he was strolling to the locker room as the sport was on the point of kick off earlier than he heard “chirping” from Alexander.
“I do not give a f— if I am on my own or with 1,000,000. I am by no means the larger individual. I ain’t letting s— go,” Diggs stated postgame. “They picked it up or no matter. However I ain’t with the soccer powerful man s—.”
The Packers went on to defeat the Texans 24-22, capped by a profitable subject purpose from Brandon McManus as Diggs completed with a quiet day, totaling 23 yards on 5 catches.
Coach DeMeco Ryans would’ve most well-liked for Diggs to be the larger individual as Ryans wasn’t thrilled with the pregame change and stated, “We won’t be about chirping.”
“Issues like that occur. These guys have a historical past. They have been going at it earlier than. We do not need to encourage that,” Ryans stated. “We simply need to go play ball the fitting method and ensure it is settled on the sector.”
The Texans’ passing offense wasn’t capable of flip Diggs’ pregame hearth into a good product. The unit had its worst passing efficiency in Ryans’ tenure with a internet whole of 55 yards.
Star quarterback C.J. Stroud threw for a career-low 86 yards with no touchdowns despite the fact that Houston’s protection and particular groups unit pressured three turnovers. The offensive dashing assault was efficient, too, as working again Joe Mixon completed with 115 yards and two touchdowns.
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However the passing nonetheless could not capitalize on it as Stroud went 2-for-7 on third downs for 13 yards whereas being sacked 3 times. The struggles began with cross safety because the Packers pressured Stroud on 48% of his dropbacks, a season excessive.
“We stored taking pictures ourselves within the foot as soon as once more,” Stroud stated. “That is only a recipe for catastrophe whenever you’re taking part in in opposition to an awesome workforce. I believe our protection did an awesome job as we speak. Our particular groups did superb. So, we bought to be higher as an offense. That is on us, level clean, interval.”
On account of poor cross safety, the Stroud-Diggs connection wasn’t capable of get going. And for all of the pregame fireworks between Alexander and Diggs, they matched up in opposition to one another solely six instances with no targets, in keeping with Subsequent Gen Stats.
Sunday wasn’t the primary time Alexander and Diggs had a pregame scuffle. In Week 8 of 2022, the 2 had a chippy interplay when each gamers ran out of the tunnel on the similar time for pregame warmups when Diggs was a Buffalo Invoice.
The Payments gained 27-17, and Diggs completed with 108 receiving yards and a landing. After the sport, Alexander referred to as Diggs a “little boy,” however this time round, he wasn’t out there within the locker room to debate this heated change. Security Xavier McKinney defended the Professional Bowl cornerback and stated, “I am with [No.] 2-3 each time.”
“They bought they personal little stuff,” McKinney stated. “I am with my guys and we going to experience collectively and that is simply what it’s, so if he do not like him, then I do not like him. That is what it’s.”
Packers defensive finish Rashan Gary concurred.
“Each recreation that we play is a giant recreation, however simply understanding the kind of workforce they’re, understanding the place we need to get to within the season, you have to handle enterprise as we speak,” Gary stated. “And all of that chirping earlier than the sport, we do not like that pretend, powerful stuff as a result of we have 60 minutes to play ball, and that is what we did as we speak.”
ESPN Employees Author Rob Demovsky contributed to this report.
