Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson believes Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander doing the griddy in front of him should have been a taunting penalty.
The Minnesota Vikings had already clinched the NFC North title, but they had the chance to officially bring an end to the rival Green Bay Packers’ playoff hopes with a win in Week 17.
There was plenty of bulletin board material for wide receiver Justin Jefferson, as Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander called him out, saying his stellar performance in Week 1 was a “fluke.” Well, it was Alexander and the Packers who got the last laugh on Sunday.
Minnesota was blown out by Green Bay, losing by the lopsided score of 41-17. Jefferson had a rough game as well, picking up just one reception. As if things weren’t bad enough, Alexander tried to get in Jefferson’s head by doing the Griddy in front of him after dropping a pass.
After the game, Jefferson told the media that he believed Alexander should have been called for a taunting penalty for doing the dance. The quote below comes courtesy of ESPN’s Kevin Seifert.
Justin Jefferson believes Jaire Alexander should have been penalized for griddy
“I thought it was taunting. That was first of all. I thought it was a taunting call,” said Jefferson. “But it is what it is. He does stuff like that to try and get in my head and stuff like that. It is what it is. Even from his comments leading into the game, it’s just talk. It’s just trying to give him that booster, that confidence, to go out there and guard me. It is what it is. We are probably going to see this team in the playoffs. So I guess we’ll see then.”
There was no penalty called on the play. That happened on second-and-10. Two plays later, quarterback Kirk Cousins threw a pass that was picked off by safety Darnell Savage and returned it for a touchdown to extend Green Bay’s lead to 14-3.
Later on in the first half, Jefferson became frustrated after Cousins threw another interception, this time on a pass intended for him. While he was lamenting the play, he ripped off his helmet and in the process, accidentally hit the referee. There was no penalty assessed to Jefferson.
Jefferson was targeted five times in the game, catching just one for a 15-yard gain.
The Vikings will be playing in the opening round of the playoffs. As for the Packers, they can clinch a Wild Card berth if they are to defeat the Detroit Lions in Week 18.
Jefferson said in his comments above that he expects to see the Packers in the playoffs. If a Minnesota-Green Bay meeting were to happen, it will be interesting to see the Jefferson vs. Alexander matchup for the third time this season.