NFC North supremacy will be on the line at Lambeau Field on Sunday, and the war of words between the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings is already heating up.
With Green Bay sitting at 2-1 and the Vikings unexpectedly leading the North at 3-0, the winner of Sunday's game will take over at least a share of first place in the earlygoing. The Detroit Lions also appear to be strong contenders, so intradivision wins will be crucial in this hotly contested division.
It's setting up to be a spicy contest between the Pack and Vikes this time around. Former Packer Aaron Jones already pledged to do the Lambeau Leap if and when he scores a touchdown. Now, the Vikings' biggest superstar is issuing a proclamation of his own.
Minnesota superstar wideout Justin Jefferson was asked about his last matchup with Packers All-Pro corner Jaire Alexander, who hit Jefferson's signature "Griddy" celebration after forcing an incompletion. Jefferson appears ready to fire back.
"He likes to do that stuff to get inside someone's head," Jefferson said, per Kevin Seifert of ESPN. "I'm not really tripping on that. I'm going to just get my Griddy in his end zone. So, I'm not tripping on it at all. I'm excited for the matchup."
Jefferson and Alexander have already had some good battles in the past. The receiver has 34 catches, 537 yards, and four touchdowns in the seven games he's faced off against Alexander's Packers. That includes one game with 168 yards and two touchdowns, and one where he was limited to one catch for 15 yards.
Alexander has also been dealing with a sore quad heading into the matchup, though he has been able to participate in practices all week. If there's any receiver you don't want to lose a step against in coverage, though, it's Jefferson.
The game could have lasting playoff implications late into the winter, so it's not as though either side needs extra motivation to get the win. But if Jefferson or Alexander takes the upper hand in the matchup, bragging rights could start to become a storyline.
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