One of the more interesting individual matchups in Sunday night’s Bills-Packers game saw both receiver Stefon Diggs and cornerback Jaire Alexander claiming they “finished” the ongoing back-and-forth between the two players.
Except, neither player matched up against each other. The jawing between Diggs and Alexander was only that: Alexander was never the primary defender on the Buffalo receiver.
The back-and-forth between Diggs and Alexander appeared to start when the Bills star ran alongside the Packers as they entered the field for pregame warmups. After that, the two rarely met apart from an Alexander shove to Diggs’ helmet as the receiver was recovering his own fumble.
Jaire Alexander and Stefon Diggs were all up in each others faces as the #Packers and #Bills ran onto the field. pic.twitter.com/dUibcc3Vkl
— Lauren Helmbrecht (@lmhelmbrecht) October 31, 2022
Following the 27-17 Buffalo win, both players claimed they “finished it” in regard to their individual matchup and overall game. Said Diggs:
“I don’t give a f— who started it, I finished it. I got the win,” Diggs said. “I don’t deal with moral victories. I don’t deal with one-on-one battles because it’s not a one-on-one game. … It’s a team effort, and I got a dub. I feel like at the end of the day there are no moral victories.”
Alexander faced a similar question asking whether he knew who started the verbal exchange before the game:
“Nah, I don’t either,” Alexander said. “I finished it.”
Stefon Diggs vs. Jaire Alexander stats
Diggs finished the game with game highs in targets (eight), receptions (six), yards (108) and touchdowns (one, tied with three other receivers). Despite his impressive stat line, Diggs didn’t accomplish it directly against Alexander, who had four passes defensed and an interception in the loss.
Indeed, the Green Bay corner was most often paired against Gabe Davis, who finished the game with two catches on seven targets from Josh Allen, good for 35 yards. Neither reception came with Alexander as the nearest defender:
Jaire Alexander aligned across from Gabe Davis on 14 of 23 routes (61%) in Week 8.
Alexander had an INT and did not allow a reception on 4 targets to Davis as the nearest defender (3 tight windows).#GBvsBUF | #GoPackGo
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) October 31, 2022
That certainly lends credence to what Alexander told Diggs before the game. From his postgame interview with reporters:
“I mean, I always thought (Diggs) was a decent receiver, but not much I can say about him,” Alexander said. He added he was “just keeping it real” and told the Buffalo receiver he “couldn’t mess with me.”
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While both players had individually impressive nights, Diggs has regardless owned the Packers’ secondary since Green Bay selected Alexander 18th overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. That includes the players’ first four meetings, when Diggs was still a member of the Vikings.
- Sept. 16, 2018: Nine receptions (13 targets), 128 yards, two touchdowns
- Nov. 25, 2018: Eight receptions (11 targets), 77 yards, one touchdown
- Sept. 15, 2019: One reception (seven targets), 49 yards, one touchdown
- Dec. 23, 2019: Three receptions (five targets), 57 yards, one touchdown
- Oct. 30, 2022: Six receptions (eight targets), 108 yards, one touchdown
For what it’s worth, Diggs’ teams have gone 2-2-1 vs. Alexander’s Packers in five meetings (1-2-1 with Minnesota and 1-0 with Buffalo). In that sense, Diggs’ assertion he “finished” the feud with Alexander is true. He has the latest win in their teams’ meetings and was a big part of the Bills’ win.
Even if Alexander claims otherwise.
