Getty Cornerback Jaire Alexander of the Green Bay Packers runs off the field after defeating the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on December 25, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander is as outspoken as they come in the NFL, and he had a message for wide receiver Justin Jefferson and the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday.
The gist of that message — don’t expect things to be so easy this time around.
Jefferson made 9 catches for 184 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Packers in Week 1 in contribution to a 23-7 blowout win for Minnesota. Alexander spoke about his competitor’s performance with media members on Thursday, December 29, during which he alluded to the idea that Jefferson is not Superman before calling the Pro Bowl wide receiver’s dominant showing a “fluke.”
“He don’t jump in no super suit and get dressed and jump outside, you hear me? I don’t either, sometimes. But he human, is what I’m saying. We ain’t putting too much on nobody,” Alexander said, per John Miller of NBC26. “He’s a really good receiver. But at the end of the day, I’m a really good corner. We’ve got really good corners. We’ve got really good linebackers, D-line, whatever it is. You don’t want to put too much focus on that one person because it’s like, the first game, that was a fluke.”
Jaire Alexander Dominated Vikings WR During Justin Jefferson’s Rookie Year
GettyWide receiver Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings.
Alexander went on to concede that Jefferson is among the top three wide receivers in the game in his opinion, slotting in alongside Davante Adams and Jaylen Waddle.
However, the Jefferson and Alexander head-to-head matchup has yet to be explored thoroughly because of how on-field circumstances have impacted it. The two have played against each other in the NFC North Division for the past three years but prior to this weekend, they’ve only squared off three times.
Jefferson has been great since his rookie year, in which he caught 88 passes for 1,400 yards and eight touchdowns. However, he squared off against Alexander and the Packers in his very first game as a professional, producing just two catches for 26 yards and no touchdowns. Alexander registered an interception in that game, which was a Green Bay victory.
The Vikings won the teams’ second matchup that season, though Jefferson was again mediocre with a stat line of three catches for 26 yards.
Alexander injured his shoulder in Week 4 of the following year, before either of Green Bay’s games against Minnesota. Jefferson was a beast in the first contest, putting up eight catches for 169 yards and two scores. He caught six balls for 58 yards in the second meeting that season.
Jefferson has been named a Pro Bowler in all three of his NFL campaigns, while Alexander earned his second Pro Bowl selection in five seasons in 2022.
Packers, Jaire Alexander Face Must-Win Against Vikings Sunday
GettyCornerback Jaire Alexander of the Green Bay Packers reacts to a play in the first half of a game against the San Francisco 49ers during the NFC Championship at Levi’s Stadium on January 19, 2020 in Santa Clara, California.
Based on their limited history and Jefferson’s moderate to below-average performances against the Packers in his rookie year, it is understandable that Alexander believes Jefferson’s Week 1 performance was nothing but a “fluke,” though that doesn’t make his description accurate as Jefferson is on a historic statistical pace in 2022.
Alexander and the Packers will be forced to contain Jefferson at Lambeau Field on Sunday if they hope to keep their playoff chances alive. Green Bay is a 3.5-point favorite in the contest scheduled for New Year’s Day.
The Vikings are also competing for playoff positioning, as they maintain a one-game advantage over the San Francisco 49ers for the No. 2 seed in the NFC. The Niners own the tiebreak should the two teams finish the year with equal records.