Shutting Down Justin Jefferson
Guaranteed: #18 hasn’t forgotten.
Last time the pair met, Jaire Alexander got the upper hand on Justin Jefferson. The corner who likes to talk backed up the talk, besting Minnesota’s WR1 at Lambeau Field. Jefferson had arguably the worst game of his career, seeing his 5 targets get turned into a single catch for 15 scoreless yards. Any chance there’s a repeat performance from the Packers’ CB1? Or, perhaps, is Justin Jefferson about to go nuclear?
Justin Jefferson, Jaire Alexander, and The Week 4 Game
A motivated Jefferson is a scary Jefferson. No doubt, the man is going to be motivated.
Truth be told, the beginning of the season has been somewhat humdrum for the WR1, especially by his lofty standards. Jefferson is sitting on 14 receptions, 273 yards, and 3 touchdowns. Undoubtedly, the most encouraging part of the statistics rest in how explosive Jefferson has been — 19.5 yards per reception, 6th in the NFL — and then averaging a touchdown a game is a nice development.
More concerning, perhaps, are the receptions, or the lack thereof.
Jefferson should be getting fed more. It’s not much of a story at the moment given that Minnesota is winning and because the man is still making plays (the 97-yarder is still fresh in everyone’s mind). The simple truth, though, is that he needs to be getting even more involved.
Crunch the numbers to see the point. At this rate, Jefferson will finish the season with 79 receptions, 1,547 yards, and 17 touchdowns. Somehow, that feels a little light. The receiver is capable of more. Yes, the yards and touchdowns are elite, but the ball needs to get into his hands more than just 79 times. That is the issue.
At this stage, Jordan Addison is looking like a strong maybe for the game.
Getting Minnesota’s WR2 back into the mix will be a positive overall. Yes, there will be targets that get sent in Addison direction, but there will also be ample attention. After all, Addison roasted the Packers last year at Lambeau. The rookie (at that point in time) turned 8 targets into 7 receptions for 82 yards and a score. The touchdown even occurred in Jaire Alexander’s coverage.
Take a trip down memory lane:
Folks, that was the kill shot. The pass to Addison was when the game was over. Minnesota was fully in control and they eventually won the game by a score of 24-10, and that’s even after losing Kirk Cousins.
In the offseason, Jefferson landed a major commitment from the Vikings. He’s sticking around until at least 2028. Getting him to agree to do so involved kicking over a four-year, $140 million commitment. He’s currently ranked as the 8th best receiver on PFF.
Meanwhile, Alexander isn’t expected to go hungry anytime soon. The corner is playing on a four-year, $84 million deal. Only a couple corners are richer, which shows how much Green Bay values their CB1. He’s currently ranked as the 12th-best corner on PFF.
Expect a fiery, competitive afternoon as Minnesota’s WR1 looks to get some revenge over Green Bay’s CB1. Shutting down Justin Jefferson won’t be easy.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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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, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.