Carmen Vitali
NFC North Reporter
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson has triple-digit receiving yards in 10 games this season alone. He led all eligible receivers in yards, receptions and targets, breaking multiple long-standing Viking records in the process, including one set by Chris Carter and Randy Moss.
But on Sunday against the divisional rival Green Bay Packers, Jefferson was held to just 15 yards per catch, the second-lowest receiving total of the season.
This was a far cry from his previous performance against Green Bay in Week 1, where Jefferson was off for 184 with nine catches and two touchdowns.
So what has changed?
Some (and maybe him in particular) would say Jaire Alexander.
In their first match against Jefferson, Green Bay played a relatively bland two-high shell, giving Jefferson all the cushion a zoning scheme would allow. Jefferson was often left unattended as the defense apparently still had a sea leg under it. There was blown coverage, missed assignments, and an overall lack of discipline. Jefferson made the most of it. But this time it wasn’t. Especially since Green passed his bays there was a newly discovered “clutch” element to his defense.
The Packers’ corner kept Jefferson out for much of Sunday’s game as defensive coordinator Joe Barry rolled out a more man-heavy game plan while mixing zone coverage on covers two and three, albeit very basic. I was tasked with protecting it.
Alexander did not hesitate in his intentions and desires to protect Jefferson this time around.
Whether it was the fact that Jefferson was so open last time thanks to softer coverage, or that he thought Jefferson’s actual performance was a fluke, he had already gotten into Jefferson’s head. and knew perfectly well that he would follow him. More than that this time. NFL teams begin installing game plans with players every Wednesday. Alexander spoke on Thursday and already knew it would probably be a fight between him and Jefferson on Sunday.
However, Alexander scored a pass breakup in front of Jefferson and was able to interrupt him at the line to get Jefferson off the route during the press coverage, but Alexander didn’t single-handedly lock down Jefferson. did. He had help, even if it was indirect.
Alexander does a great job on his own, but he has help from all levels of defense on this one. You are threatened by Quay his walkers. Quay Walker disguises himself as participating in the Blitzkrieg before embarking on an interview. And when the ball is released in Jefferson’s direction, Rudy Ford comes in for support.
On multiple occasions, it is true that Alexander, with the help of deep safety, was ready to jump if Jefferson got through him. This is not always something you can count on. Especially when he’s single high with only one safety covering the deep zone. That safety needs to read the quarterback accurately and react to that side. they could be wrong. Or they can’t get there.
But it’s a safety net, allowing players like Alexander to play a little more aggressively. This allows him to scrimmage to sneak up to his line and immediately engage Jefferson. Knowing that someone is coming to his aid from deep inside, he can risk being beaten at the line and having to make a catch-up. Either way, that’s what Green Bay has done. The press rolled over to Jefferson’s side.
This is very similar to what the New York Jets did to Jefferson in their stud rookie corner, Sauce Gardner. Jefferson won a few more fights, but still only 45 yards on seven catches. Gardner again hampered him at the line and threw him out as he stayed with him for most of the game.
Sunday meant tight end TJ Hockenson got the most targets from Vikings’ Kirk Cousins. Minnesota tried to capitalize on linebacker-safety matchups that Hockenson thought he could win, and most of the time he did. He caught all three of his targets, with linebacker De’Vondre Campbell being the closest defender. He caught three of his four targets when cornerback Rasoul Douglas was on top of him. But while he was Minnesota’s most targeted player, it didn’t exactly say much because of the pressure on Cousins himself.
What’s been lost in the recent debate over Green Bay’s pass defense is what happened up front, and it’s helped. Did. As a result, the secondary, including Alexander of Jefferson, didn’t have to work as hard.
observation:
Again, Alexander stuffed Jefferson into the line, but Jefferson recovered. This is a wider rushing front than usual, making the offense guess who to block inside his line and extend the guard. Key Walker can be a blitz from his pre-snap look, but instead look at the quarterback to see where he’s going with the ball. Meanwhile, his TJ Slaton on Green his bay raises his hand while engaging a blocker and breaks a pass at the line before reaching Jefferson.
Cousins was under pressure 15 times in the game. He had his six hits, was rushed seven times, and suffered two sacks. He ended up in a pretty dismal statsline, completing 18 of 31 pass attempts for just 205 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions. Kenny Clarke spearheaded the pressure effort on the Packers. He had his 91.2 pass rushing grade from his PFF in the game.
Ultimately, the best way to deal with Justin Jefferson and the Vikings offense is (understandably) to take Jefferson out of the equation. Pressure on Cousins to push the ball out could lead to erroneous short throws that are not Jefferson’s specialty. You can throw him off the line and the more physical the better. Make sure you have some help in case your guy gets burned.
And perhaps most of all? get into his head.
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Carmen Vitali covers NFC North for FOX Sports. Carmen previously played for Draft Network and Tampa Bay He was with the Buccaneers. She spent her six her seasons with the Bucks, and in 2020 the title of Super Bowl her champion (and boat her parade participant) was added to her resume. You can follow Carmen on her Twitter. @CarmieV.
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