GREEN BAY, Wis. — Houston Texans large receiver Stefon Diggs mentioned “I am by no means the larger individual,” concerning 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 became just a little little bit of pushing and shoving.
Diggs mentioned he was strolling to the locker room as the sport was on the brink of kick off earlier than he heard “chirping” from Alexander.
“I do not give a f— if I am on my own or with one million. I am by no means the larger individual. I ain’t letting s— go,” Diggs mentioned postgame. “They picked it up or no matter. However I ain’t with the soccer robust man s—.”
The Packers went on to defeat the Texans 24-22, capped by a successful area aim from Brandon McManus as Diggs completed with a quiet day, totaling 23 yards on 5 catches.
Coach DeMeco Ryans would’ve most popular for Diggs to be the larger individual as Ryans wasn’t thrilled with the pregame change and mentioned, “We will not 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 mentioned. “We simply need to go play ball the appropriate method and ensure it is settled on the sector.”
The Texans’ passing offense wasn’t capable of flip Diggs’ pregame hearth into a decent 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 regardless that Houston’s protection and particular groups unit pressured three turnovers. The offensive dashing assault was efficient, too, as operating again Joe Mixon completed with 115 yards and two touchdowns.
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 mentioned. “That is only a recipe for catastrophe if you’re taking part in in opposition to an excellent workforce. I feel our protection did an excellent job right this moment. Our particular groups did superb. So, we bought to be higher as an offense. That is on us, level clean, interval.”
As a result 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 identical 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 known 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 mentioned, “I am with [No.] 2-3 each time.”
“They bought they personal little stuff,” McKinney mentioned. “I am with my guys and we going to journey collectively and that is simply what it’s, so if he don’t love him, then I do not like him. That is what it’s.”
Packers defensive finish Rashan Gary concurred.
“Each sport that we play is a giant sport, however simply understanding the kind of workforce they’re, understanding the place we need to get to within the season, you have to deal with enterprise right this moment,” Gary mentioned. “And all of that chirping earlier than the sport, we do not like that pretend, robust stuff as a result of we have got 60 minutes to play ball, and that is what we did right this moment.”
ESPN Workers Author Rob Demovsky contributed to this report.
