Justin Jefferson Has Found A Defender He Cannot Shake

Remember when we hyped up the matchup between Justin Jefferson and Jaire Alexander in Week 4?

Jefferson had caught nine passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns in the Minnesota Vikings’ 23-7 victory in Week 1 of 2022. Alexander later called that performance “a fluke” and held Jefferson to one catch for 15 yards in Week 17 of that same season. They hadn’t faced off since then, setting the stage for an epic showdown between Jefferson and Alexander this year.

“I didn't really care if he played or not last year,” said Jefferson. “I really don't care about the matchup, honestly. I feel like he cares more than I do.”

It was a hilarious response. However, Alexander might have gotten the last laugh.

He didn’t play.

Still, what Jefferson said after that is more telling.

“It is what it is,” he continued. “That's every team, no [knock on] Jaire.

“That's every team and how they scheme up against me and how they try to play me. So it doesn't matter if I'm going up against Jaire or if I'm going up against the worst corner in the league.”

Lambeau Field’s slick grass likely factored into Jefferson’s slow day two years ago. A week later, Jefferson had 92 yards receiving against Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed, one of the league’s best cornerback tandems. He also drew five penalties: three for pass interference, one for illegal contact, and one for defensive holding.

“The hidden yardage is the defensive pass interference calls,” explained offensive coordinator Wes Phillips. “There were four of them in the game [which] don't show up on the stat sheet. But those were also huge chunks of yards.”

Jefferson may be accumulating phantom yards, but he has a defender he can’t shake. Jefferson’s hips may lie to Gardner and Reed, but this person knows the truth. Alexander may not be able to get in Jefferson’s head, but this defender resides there. He’s like a shadow who doesn’t disappear underneath the stadium lights.

“I just feel like the only person that can hurt me is myself,” he said before the Packers game. “I'm always confident in my gameplay and skill set to get open and create [explosive] plays. [There’s] just an extra difficulty I have to go through sometimes.”

Jefferson must put in extra work because teams build schemes to stop him. He must find the holes in the zone and make catches in double coverage. Still, Jefferson is doing everything he can to make an impact every Sunday. Everyone around the building praises his preparation and work ethic.

“We've talked about [Jefferson’s] work ethic and how he treats every day as a chance to get better,” said Kevin O’Connell. “ Justin is a prime example of the best at his position in football, working on his craft on a daily basis, setting the tone for all of us.”

“The great players that I've ever been around on either side of the ball, when they step on the grass, they're hyper-competitive, almost too competitive at times,” said Phillips. “Every day he comes out, he wants to win. He wants to win every rep that he takes, and [Jefferson] takes it personal if he doesn't. So he's really a special player.”

“To come here and understand exactly the kind of work ethic that he has,” Sam Darnold said in August, “it’s very contagious.”

However, some factors outside Jefferson’s control can hamper him. Due to hamstring and back injuries, he only played nine games last year. Kirk Cousins was an accurate quarterback who learned to trust Jefferson. Still, he played conservatively and occasionally passed on explosive plays.

Then chaos ensued when he tore his Achilles in Week 8. Rookie Jaren Hall wasn’t ready to take over the offense. Joshua Dobbs shone brightly but also threw him a hospital ball. Nick Mullens threw a pick to a defensive tackle against the Cincinnati Bengals. There was little Jefferson could have done to be more productive last year.

Still, he insists his greatest enemy is within. Sometimes, that can be freeing.

“It's nothing…about the other person that's guarding you,” Jefferson said, “as long as you're confident in yourself, confident in the skill set and the preparation that you had leading up into the week. And, of course, film helps a tremendous bit.

“But,” he added, “I'm always confident in my skill set to go out there and kill whoever's in front of me.”

So there you have it. Who’s the biggest threat to Jefferson in the Detroit Lions secondary? Carlton Davis III? Brian Branch? Hopefully, Kerby Joseph doesn’t go anywhere near him. But it doesn’t matter. Jefferson’s only limitation is what he can do on the field. And we’ve learned that Jefferson can do almost anything if he puts his mind to it.