Jaire Alexander No Match for Jordan Addison
The Green Bay CB1 wasn’t shy about claiming the victory over Justin Jefferson last season. And, to be sure, Jaire Alexander legitimately did get the better of Jefferson. The most recent contest, though, didn’t result in the same triumphant corner for the Packers.
With Jefferson nursing a hamstring injury, Jordan Addison continued his journey as Minnesota’s WR1. By the end of the day, Addison had picked up 7 catches (8 targets) for 82 yards and a TD. The touchdown, of course, came with Alexander behind a step. And, for whatever it’s worth, there were a couple contested catches that were super close to breaking Addison’s way, meaning the stats could have been even more gaudy.
After the game, Alexander spoke to the media. Predictably, he got asked about the touchdown he surrendered. Alexander shifted the credit to Kevin O’Connell for the score: “They put the receiver at running back, and he just ran straight up the field. It was a good play call.” The corner did confirm that they were in man coverage, corroborating what was evident from the play itself.
The four-minute presser featured a lot of short responses from Alexander, who didn’t have too many answers for the GB defeat. Certainly a far cry from last year’s outgoing discussion about following Jefferson all over the field.
Jordan Addison Got the Best of Jaire Alexander
Gloating in Justin Jefferson’s face is a great way to establish oneself as Public Enemy No. 1 in Minnesota. Jefferson is a legend in The Gopher State, so folks don’t soon forget taking a victory lap in real time when making a strong play on the receiver.
Plenty of people had Week 8 circled when the schedule first arrived. The chance to see Jefferson get a fresh shot at Alexander is the kind of heavyweight tilt that inspires plenty of interest in the sometime long, arduous NFL season.
Of course, the hamstring injury and subsequent placement on the IR ended that chance. Jefferson is trying to get himself back to 100%. Meanwhile, Addison is trying to fill impossibly large shoes by taking over as the Vikings’ top WR. On Sunday, he once again showed himself as being worthy of the task.
Take a look at his touchdown over Alexander:
The Packers’ corner has a size and experience advantage. Toward the beginning of the route, Alexander attempts to get his mitts on Addison. Playing with great compete and physicality is a major part of the defender’s game, so the strategy makes sense. The effort, though, didn’t work out particularly well. Addison largely sidesteps the corner, working up the seam to score a touchdown and do the Lambeau Leap.
The score is the lingering memory, but the 21-year-old Addison made plays in Alexander’s coverage earlier in the game, as well.
Add it all together and Jordan Addison is sitting on 36 catches, 482 yards, and 7 TDs. Putting things in hockey terms would involve calling the rookie a scorer, someone who knows how to turn opportunities into an advantage on the scoreboard.
Kirk Cousins has clearly developed an affinity for the young wide receiver, but that connection has been disrupted due to injury. Jaren Hall is the next man up at quarterback. The Vikings will need to find unique and creative ways for the rookie-to-rookie connection to prosper since Hall can’t be expected to operate at the same level as Cousins.
Alexander’s next shot at matching up with Minnesota’s receivers will come in Week 17 when the Packers visit U.S. Bank Stadium. It’s anyone’s guess where these teams will find themselves given the major concerns that exist at quarterback in both Green Bay and Minnesota.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.