As the Vikings prepared last week for game against the Chicago Bears, star receiver Justin Justin proved to be prophetic.
Asked how he would cover himself, the 25-year-old flashed his infectious smile, then delivered an answer packed with confidence, not cockiness, about the respect he has garnered across the NFL.
“It’s either let everybody else go off or let Justin go off,” he said. “I’m going to let everybody else go off.”
Naturally, when the Vikings stepped onto the playing surface at Soldier Field last Sunday, the Bears completely sold out to keep Jefferson from going off.
Not only did the Bears choose to have star cornerback Jaylon Johnson shadow a single opponent for the first time this season, they sent help his way at every level, a strategy that made sure he was rarely in single coverage.
Though the box score will suggest that Jefferson was basically nonexistent as a result — he finished with 2 catches for 27 yards — it doesn’t even being to tell the full story of his impact on the Vikings walking away with a 30-27 overtime win.
His presence allowed everybody else to go off.
There was quarterback Sam Darnold completing 22 of 34 passes for 330 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Running back Aaron Jones rushing 22 times for 106 yards and a touchdown. Young receiver Jordan Addison recording 8 receptions for 162 yards and a touchdown. And veteran tight end T.J. Hockenson adding 7 catches for 114 yards.
None of it would have been possible without Jefferson taking up so much of the Bears’ attention. That much head coach Kevin O’Connell made clear in the immediate aftermath.
“They were matching him,” O’Connell said. “There were a lot of coverage plans for him and a lot of opportunities for other guys to make some plays.”
This is the gravity of Justin Jefferson in a nutshell. He regularly draws double coverage and sometimes even triple coverage. That makes life much easier on everybody involved.
“That’s pretty much what the formula has been this season,” Jefferson said. “There are going to be times when other people eat in this offense.”
A few snapshot moments from last weekend effectively encapsulated the phenomenon.
There was a play near the goal line on which Jefferson drew a trio of defenders while running a corner route toward the back pylon. That left Jalen Nailor wide open in the flat for a touchdown.
“You turn on the tape,” O’Connell said. “Who’s the most excited about it? Justin.”
There was the play after halftime on which Jefferson went in motion before the snap, ran a dagger toward the middle, and got a pair of defenders to hesitate. That left a large chunk of grass vacated on the right side of the field, and Darnold dropped a dime to Addison for a big gain.
“It’s crazy the way that they play him,” Addison said. “They are leaving everybody else open.”
There was a play in overtime on which Jefferson ran a crosser that attracted a cornerback, linebacker and safety like three moths to a flame. That left Hockenson running free near the sideline, and he hauled in a pass to set up a field goal that proved to be the difference.
“When he’s out there, he gets guys open,” Darnold said of Jefferson. “The defense is so locked into him.”
There were also a couple of subtle plays from Jefferson last week that might get overlooked because they didn’t show up on paper. He drew a pair of pass interference penalties that accounted for 45 yards in total. The ability to create an explosive play without even touching the ball shouldn’t be taken lightly.
“We get those yards,” Jefferson said. “Just moving the ball and getting a drive going is always a great thing.”
Maybe the most impressive part of Jefferson is that he hasn’t made any headlines despite the lack of production. There’s a maturity about him that doesn’t always exists at his position. He doesn’t have an ounce of diva in him.
“I love the way Justin handles himself,” O’Connell said. “He prides himself on his leadership.”
That hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“He gets excited about other guys scoring touchdowns and making plays,” offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said. “That’s genuine. He’s not doing any of it for show. Ultimately, he wants to win, and he wants to be on a team that has a chance to compete for a championship.”
On that note, O’Connell seems to understand that in order for the Vikings to have sustained success moving forward, they have to find a way to get Jefferson the ball with more regularity.
“I do feel a responsibility to always let him feel that he’s impacting the game,” O’Connell said. “The igniter that he is for our whole team is still a very important thing.”
Asked if he thinks there are different ways to get him the ball when he’s being blanketed on a consistent basis, Jefferson was rather short with his response. It was the closest thing he has shown to frustration at any point this season.
“That’s a great question,” Jefferson said. “I’m not sure.”
It’s worth mentioning that Jefferson has still managed to produce at a high rate. He has 61 catches for 939 yards this season despite the way he’s being defended game in and game out.
His baseline is so prolific that when he has a relatively quiet stretch by his standards, it can seem like a bigger deal than it actually is.
Nonetheless, fresh off his lowest output this season, it’s a pretty good bet that Jefferson gets a healthy dose of targets when the Vikings host the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium.
“I want to make sure he always feels like he’s a major priority,” O’Connell said. “Because any time he steps on the field, I think he’s the best player on the field.”
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