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Dane Mizutani: Don’t listen to Jaire Alexander’s trash talk. Justin Jefferson’s dominance is no fluke.

dane mizutani, pioneer press
·3 min read
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Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson made a statement a few months ago, and he hasn’t looked back since.

With the Vikings hosting the Packers in the season opener at U.S. Bank Stadium, Jefferson popped off for nine catches, 184 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He routinely made opposing defenders look silly whenever they tried to mark him. He also spent a good chunk of the game running wide open downfield thanks to some defensive breakdowns.

Apparently that lackluster effort still has the Packers stinging. Especially cornerback Jaire Alexander.

Though he gave Jefferson his flowers this week, Alexander made it clear that he isn’t intimidated heading into Sunday’s rematch at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. He rambled on and on and concluded by saying Jefferson’s performance the first time around was a fluke.

Huh? Seriously?

Let’s just say it wasn’t the best word choice from Alexander. No part of Jefferson’s dominance is a a fluke.

He has been greatness personified on a weekly basis this season. There’s a reason he has 10 games with more than 100 receiving yards and has eclipsed triple digits in back-to-back-to-back weeks.

After suggesting last offseason that he deserves to be in the conversation for best receiver in the NFL, Jefferson has proven himself to be exactly that.

He started his campaign by torching the Packers in Week 1 and has continued it by torching pretty much everyone else along the way.

Not only has Jefferson already broken a couple of single-season franchise records — 123 receptions, 1,756 receiving yards — he’s slowly closing in on Lions legend Calvin Johnson for sole possession of an NFL record.

Exactly a decade ago Johnson finished the 2012 season with a whopping 1,964 receiving yards.

There’s a world in which Jefferson passes Johnson as soon as this weekend. He currently is 208 yards away from pulling even.

Wouldn’t it be fitting if Jefferson did it against Alexander? It would certainly teach him to put some respect on his name.

It’s clear Alexander wants to shadow Jefferson this weekend. It’s unclear if Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry is actually gong to let him do it.

Truthfully, with the way Jefferson has been rolling as of late, it might save Alexander some embarrassment if he doesn’t have to chase him around the field. Not many people have had success in that role.

The narrative that’s popped up recently is the Jefferson should be garnering more attention in the MVP race. Though the award is reserved almost exclusively for quarterbacks — and it probably should be given its parameters — there’s certainly a case to be made for Jefferson with the way he’s played.

Shockingly, the Lions are the only team so far able to take Jefferson out of the game. They held him to 14 receiving yards a few months ago by deploying double coverage on pretty much every play. They had a cornerback jam him at the line of scrimmage and had a safety help over the top.

It’s worth noting that Jefferson had the most prolific game of his career in a rematch with the Lions earlier this month. He made some adjustments on the fly with the help of coach Kevin O’Connell and finished the second game against Detroit with 11 catches and 223 receiving yards.

That’s the type of performance Jefferson could have in store for Alexander this weekend if he’s not careful.

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