Getty Justin Jefferson celebrates a touchdown during the Vikings' 2022 season-opening victory over the Green Bay Packers.
A new player rivalry has dawned between the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers.
Justin Jefferson has risen to become the highest-profile player in the NFC North, and Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander has not shied from challenging the league’s top receiver.
After giving up nine receptions for 183 yards and two touchdowns to Jefferson in the 2022 season opener, Alexander called the performance a fluke ahead of a Week 16 rematch where the Packers won a lopsided game and held Jefferson to just one catch for 15 yards.
Alexander taunted Jefferson by hitting the griddy, Jefferson’s celebratory dance, after a pass incompletion during that game.
Jaire Alexander hitting the Griddy after defending Justin Jefferson 😂
Alexander reflected on the game in a recent CBS Sports interview, rekindling the growing rivalry between the two stars.
“That was fun. I said all week it was a fluke. So when he came into Lambeau, he thought he was gonna come in there griddying, but I was the one griddying. That’s all it was. It was just fun,” Alexander said.
Fanning the rivalry’s flames further, CBS Sports asked Jefferson to respond to Alexander’s comments, which he obliged candidly.
Vikings WR Justin Jefferson on Packers CB Jaire Alexander’s Trash Talk: ‘Nobody is Really Worried About Him’
In an August 15 interview with CBS Sports, Jefferson didn’t give Alexander’s recent comments any weight on his mind, saying “nobody is really worried about him.”
“It’s just him talking at the end of the day. Nobody is really worried about him,” Jefferson said. “If you really see the ‘mic’d up’ and everything, they had they intentions to really take me out of the game. Everything about that day was to take me out the game, to not let me catch a ball, to do things to really take me out my game.”
While Green Bay did get the best of the Vikings and Jefferson late last season, the slate is even considering Jefferson’s dazzling season debut.
“You can’t call a 180-yarder a fluke, that’s something that’s not a fluke. You can’t just walk upon 180 yards in the NFL, especially being one of the top players,” Jefferson said.
Alexander hitting the griddy in front of Jefferson is just more evidence of the Vikings star’s staying power, he says.
“For him to do a griddy off an incomplete pass is very funny to me. It just goes to show you the amount of attention that he was trying to give me,” Jefferson added. “Trash talking after every play, you know, things like that. It’s funny to me.”
Jefferson and Alexander will face off twice this season, this time the Packers play host first on October 29, while Minnesota will have home-field advantage during a primetime game on New Year’s Eve.
“It’s all good. This is a new year. We don’t get to play them at home when it’s cold. We get to go there early in the season when it’s a little warmer. Then, they play us late in the season, primetime,” Jefferson said. “So I guess we gonna see what all the talk was about. Hopefully, they don’t have me double-teamed with a safety on top.”
Vikings-Packers on New Year’s Eve Could Decide Playoff Picture
The Week 17 matchup at U.S. Bank Stadium between the Vikings and Packers could be pivotal in determining the NFC North division title.
This year the NFC North looks much more competitive. The Detroit Lions are the betting favorites to take the division title but a solid case could be made for the Packers and Vikings to challenge Detroit.
Minnesota is the defending division champion, however, pundits have the Vikings as a prime regression candidate due to their 11-0 record in single-score games last season being unsustainable.
The Vikings will have to make the most of their division schedule to vie for a playoff spot, and a rivalry game at home on primetime could be the deciding factor on a postseason appearance this season.