The Green Bay Packers did a lot of things that made no sense during their 23-7 Week 1 road loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The notion of keeping cornerback Jaire Alexander, the Packers’ best player in the secondary, away Vikings superstar receiver Justin Jefferson was … questionable, to say the least.
It became obvious that Matt LaFleur and Joe Barry didn’t have a proper plan for Jefferson, and they paid for it. The superstar receiver shredded Green Bay’s secondary. Jefferson went on to have a career day. He finished the game with 184 yards on nine catches, finding the end zone twice.
However, Barry and the Packers’ defense went on to show a change in their resolve. Barry’s unit shut down Jefferson in the late-season matchup with the Vikings. The former LSU Tiger recorded a paltry 15 yards throughout the game. He was held to one catch, a season low for the receiver.
Jefferson faced the Green Bay Packers in Weeks 1 and 17. Analysis from both games highlights a discrepancy in his production. It also demonstrates two completely different plans from Joe Barry.
Keeping Alexander away from Jefferson was far from ideal. The Vikings receiver had space to roam around versus off-zone coverages. Defending crossing routes was a major issue for the Packers’ defense. In this example, cornerback Eric Stokes matched up with Jefferson. Based on the formation, Stokes was designed to cover Jefferson one-on-one in a Cover 1 Hole call:
The Packers’ defense had a massive mishap inside the two-minute drill. Barry’s defense plays Cover 3 on this play-action pass. Kevin O’Connell designs two crossers from opposite sides of the field. Alexander and Rasul Douglas need to decide whether to follow those crossers or not. They fail to communicate.
Everybody but Alexander got to cover Jefferson in the Week 1 matchup. In Week 17, Barry knew he needed a better plan to counter a premium receiver like Jefferson. The Packers’ defense needed to make Jefferson’s life a living hell.
The Packers hosted the Vikings late in the season. In that game, Green Bay held Jefferson to only 15 yards. He recorded one catch through four quarters, a season-low for the receiver. Green Bay’s defense shined, and the Packers blew out their rivals, 41-17.
How were Joe Barry and the Packers able to shut down Jefferson?
Zone Coverage spoke with Justin Jefferson during his trip to Brazil.
Jefferson shared his insight on what went wrong during Week 17’s matchup at Lambeau Field. He emphasized the different approach of the Packers’ defense as they tried to contain him and the looks he was getting in different situations.
“First of all, the Packers had a great plan,” he said. “They were double-teaming me in a high percentage of plays. Triple covering as well. It came down to different coverage patterns and scheming. I give them a lot of credit, they came prepared.”
And the Packers, indeed, came prepared.
Green Bay’s game plan was based on where Jefferson lined up on the field. Different alignments led to different double teams, and different formations led to different coverages. Barry allowed Alexander to follow Jefferson for most of the snaps and often had help from another player in the back end.
In the video below, Alexander had help from safety Rudy Ford coming down to his side. This coverage allows Green Bay to leverage Jefferson inside and outside. With Jefferson well covered, another receiver needs to make a play.
Barry also made sure that two defenders had their eyes on Jefferson when he was on the outside. In the following clip, Jefferson had Alexander right in his face (rejoice, Packers fans) and Adrian Amos back at the safety position. Amos’ task was to help on any over-the-top or inside-breaking routes.
The Packers took a page from the Philadelphia Eagles’ playbook after they held Jefferson for 48 yards in their Week 2 matchup with the Vikings. Former Eagles defensive coordinator and new Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon used at least three different types of man coverage to counter Jefferson: Cover 1 with one high safety, a two-high safety with a double team on Jefferson, and a Cover 0 with a six-man pressure look that forced Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins to get the ball out quickly.
Going into 2023, the Packers are slated to face some of the best receivers in the league. Jaire Alexander and the rest of Green Bay’s secondary will see D.J. Moore and Jefferson twice a year. The Packers play the Las Vegas Raiders and Davante Adams on the road. Cooper Kupp and Mike Evans are coming to town when Green Bay hosts the Los Angeles Rams and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, respectively.
Joe Barry has found a blueprint for a consistent pass defense. However, it’s unclear whether the plan will work against all offenses in the NFL. Teams will study Barry’s Week 17 masterpiece. They will adjust. Barry needs to do the same. We’ve seen too many times when Barry had a plan for a matchup, failed to deliver, and refused to adjust mid-game. That needs to change next year.
