The Green Bay Secondary Said They’d Shut Down Justin Jefferson — Then They Did
Heading into Week 17 the Green Bay Packers made it clear they were not going to let Vikings’ star receiver Justin Jefferson beat them. Headlined by Jaire Alexander, members of the Packers secondary boldly claimed that Jefferson’s 184 yard 2 touchdown performance against them in Week 1 was “a fluke.”
If Sunday’s game was any indication, Alexander was right.
In a 41–17 beatdown of the Vikings, the Packers held Jefferson to just 1 catch for 15 yards. Minnesota’s top receiver was the primary focus of the Packers’ defensive game plan, and Coordinator Joe Barry let Alexander act as the star of the show. Barry did a great job of mixing up coverages and playing a variety of defenses throughout this one, but the one constant was Alexander matching up with Jefferson from kickoff until the final whistle.
At a high level, a cornerback’s primary job is pretty straightforward — don’t let the guy you’re responsible for catch the ball. Period.
However, at the NFL level defensive play calls are a little more complex. Even when playing man coverage, a cornerback’s technique can differ from play to play based on his assignment. Because offenses are allowed 5 eligible receivers on any given play, and a base pass defense typically dedicates 4 players to rushing the passer. This leaves the defense with 7 players available to guard those 5 potential pass catchers. How to deploy those 2 surplus defenders is where defensive coordinators can get creative. Some like to blitz, some prefer to put a roof on the defense with two defenders deep, and sometimes those extra defenders hone in on a single opponent as was oftentimes the case in this game.
As good as Alexander is, no sane playcaller would allow him to line up on an island against Jefferson for a full 60 minutes — Jefferson’s simply too good. You may think this increased attention diminishes Alexander’s impressive performance, but it shouldn’t. Having help allowed him to play a tough, physical brand of football that made Jefferson miserable all game long.
Here’s a perfect example of what that looked like:
In the above clip, the Packers are playing zone and Alexander knows he’ll have help to his inside. Notice how right before the ball is snapped, he inches towards Jefferson’s outside shoulder so he can funnel him right into the teeth of the defense. His assignment here isn’t simply “guard Jefferson,” it’s “don’t let Jefferson beat you outside.”
When the ball is snapped Alexander opens his hips, gets two hands on the receiver, and forces him inside. This is an aggressive technique that’s only possible because Alexander knows he has help waiting for him at the next level. Watch the clip again and you’ll notice the defender circled in red (below) waiting as soon as Jefferson starts breaking inside:
In essence, the Packers didn’t ask Alexander to “follow” Jefferson on this play. They asked him to dictate.
Here you see another example where the two are matched up, but this time the coverage looks a little different. Alexander doesn’t engage at the line of scrimmage, instead he mirrors Jefferson’s movement along the sideline before getting his hands on the ball to break up the pass (and have a little fun afterwards):
Same players. Different technique. Same result.
Even though Alexander was at the forefront of the game plan, the way he — and surrounding defenders — were deployed to stop Jefferson helped the Packers’ claim victory. Jefferson never got in rhythm and the Packers had no problem letting Kirk Cousins try to beat him with the rest of his supporting cast. Cousins and company weren’t up to the task, and now the Packers find themselves in a win and you’re in situation against Detroit in Week 18.
As for the Vikings, the claims of their 12–4 record being fraudulent will only get louder following the result of this matchup. Despite having triple the amount of wins as they do losses, Minnesota possesses a lousy point differential of minus 19 on the season. For Vikings fans with Super Bowl aspirations, the point differential is alarming, but it’s not their biggest concern.
What the Vikings need to worry about is what they’re going to do when opposing teams sell out to stop Jefferson.
In 3 of Minnesota’s 4 losses, Jefferson was held below 50 receiving yards. Unfortunately for the Vikings, those three losses came at the hands of three teams they could see again in the NFC playoffs — the Eagles, the Cowboys, and now the Packers. In those three games, the Vikings looked completely outclassed as they lost by scores of 24–7 (PHI), 40–3 (DAL), and most recently 41–17. Shutting down Jefferson was a top priority for each of these defenses, and the Vikings have yet to find an answer when teams neutralize their deadliest weapon.
Kudos to the Vikings’ front office for acknowledging this flaw. Their in-season trade for T.J. Hockenson was supposed to alleviate some of their over-reliance on Jefferson. While Hockenson’s had his moments, he’s not a Travis Kelce or Mark Andrews level talent that you can build a passing game around. Meanwhile Kirk Cousins remains a solid player, but Sunday’s game was a reminder that he’s limited and will struggle when the offense around him isn’t running on all cylinders. When Jefferson’s not an option, defenses aren’t worried about Cousins beating them with throws to Adam Theilen or K.J. Osborn.
Pair this one-dimensional passing game with a ground attack that ranks 27th in the league in rush yards, and the fraudulent claims start to carry more weight. When teams are willing and able to shut down Jefferson, the Vikings have yet to prove they’re capable of overcoming.
The blueprint for beating Minnesota is anything but a secret at this point. With playoffs just around the corner, you better believe opposing defenses will be relentless in their attempts to slow down Jefferson at all costs. Until the Vikings find their counterpunch, they won’t stand a chance against the best teams in the conference.
