Jets in London Notebook | Sauce Gardner calls Justin Jefferson the No. 1 WR in the NFL

Sunday's game between the Jets and Vikings has many storylines, but the most important matchup is the Jets' two-time All-Pro CB Sauce Gardner versus the Vikings' All-Pro WR Justin Jefferson.

“He’s an extreme challenge,” Gardner told reporters after practice in London on Friday. “He’s widely known to a lot of people as the No. 1 receiver. Rightly so. The things he brings to tape: He's fast, skilled, a great route runner, great hands. Everything about him is great.”

“They do their thing and me and DJ (Reed) love competing. I know Justin loves competing too. We look forward to the challenge. We're going to go out, have fun and compete.” “

The last time these teams met was during Gardner's rookie season in 2022, when Gardner held Jefferson, the closest defender in coverage, to 2 catches for 14 yards. Jefferson finished the game with 45 yards and a touchdown on 7 catches.

This trip is Gardner's first trip abroad and not just for football. That's not the case with Jefferson, who caught 10 balls for 147 yards at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in Week 4 of the 2022 season. But the 2022 Offensive Player of the Year is catching passes from another quarterback who is a familiar face to Jets fans – Sam Darnold.

“He looks extremely confident,” Gardner said of Darnold. “He has great receivers around him. … He has a lot of weapons around him, not to mention their running back Aaron (Jones). It just makes his job easier and he makes pretty good throws. He’s got a pretty big arm.”