Jaire Alexander is known for his boisterous confidence, but the Packers cornerback might have gone too far Thursday.
Green Bay faces a must-win game in Week 17 as it takes on the Vikings at Lambeau Field. Minnesota won the first matchup in Week 1, 23-7, thanks to an incredible performance from Justin Jefferson.
The third-year wide receiver caught nine passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns. The game, in retrospect, ended up being a precursor to the Vikings’ breakout season that has them at No. 2 in the NFC with a 12-3 record heading into Sunday.
Eleven of those 12 wins have come in one-score games, but Kirk Cousins has done the job to deliver those victories. But, like many NFL fans, Alexander isn’t buying the Vikings.
“You’ve just got to be real: He don’t jump in no super suit and get dressed and jump outside, you hear me?” Alexander told reporters Thursday, per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. “I don’t either, sometimes. But he (is) human, is what I’m saying. We ain’t putting too much on nobody.
“He’s a really good receiver. But at the end of the day, I’m a really good corner. We’ve got really good corners, we’ve got really good linebackers, D-line, whatever it is. You don’t want to put too much focus on that one person because it’s like, the first game, that was a fluke.”
Alexander did give props to Jefferson when he added: “Davante Adams No. 1, and I think (Miami Dolphins’ Jaylen) Waddle might’ve snuck in there as of this past weekend. I think he’s a really good receiver.”
Green Bay is a consensus 3.5-point favorite heading into Sunday’s game, but Jefferson voiced his defense of his quarterback and his team.
“All of the Kirk criticism has to stop!” the 23-year-old tweeted Wednesday. “I understand y’all hate the dad swag but come on his numbers are right with y’all’s MVP candidates.”
Cousins is +40000 to win MVP, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. Jefferson himself has +5000 odds, but Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is the favorite at -500.
Jefferson, however, is the favorite to win Offensive Player of the Year at -800, and oddsmakers expect the wideout to have a strong game against the Packers. His receiving yards prop is set at 95.5 with the Over set at -125.
The war of words will be settled Sunday as the Vikings will have a chance to play spoiler and prevent their NFC North rivals from making the postseason.
