Tag: Justin Jefferson

Vikings WR Adam Thielen, WR Justin Jefferson among the most reliable pass catchers in the NFL

Where do you think Vikings WRs Adam Thielen, Justin Jefferson should rank?

Vikings WR Adam Thielen was expected to drop off in terms of his touchdown total this year. How could he replicate a 14-touchdown performance from 2020?

So far, Thielen has hauled in 10 touchdown receptions and 686 receiving yards in 2021. He’s stayed a reliable target for Kirk Cousins — in both the red zone and across the whole field.

Nick Shook of NFL Network tabbed Thielen as a reliable pass catcher, ranking him the seventh-best in the league. Wideout Justin Jefferson earned an even higher ranking: coming in at No. 5.

Shook wrote:

“Jefferson fought through tight coverage, leapt to catch a pass from Kirk Cousins and tapped both feet in bounds to move the chains and help the Vikings hang on for the win with a highlight grab. He’s done that plenty and is certainly deserving of a place on this list.”

Jefferson has 1,027 receiving yards and six touchdowns receptions on the year. The Vikings need both wideouts to thrive for an aggressive offense in 2021.

Vikings WR Justin Jefferson named NFC Offensive Player of the Month

Vikings WR Justin Jefferson has been named NFC Offensive Player of the Month.

Vikings WR Justin Jefferson has 1,027 receiving yards and six touchdown receptions this year. He’s lit up stat sheets and popularized the dance move “the Griddy” along the way.

During the month of November, he tallied more than 140 receiving yards in two of his four games. Jefferson has been on a tear recently. On Thursday, he earned the NFC Offensive Player of the Month award.

Jefferson had 83 receiving yards in the loss to the 49ers most recently. Minnesota fell to 5-6 overall in that matchup. However, the Vikings have an easier matchup ahead — this week against the Lions.

Minnesota could move its record back .500 against a team that’s 0-10-1 heading in to Week 13. If the Vikings want to do so, they could use some help from their star second-year wide receiver.

Packers film room: Taking a closer look at Justin Jefferson’s huge day

Highlighting what went wrong for the Packers while attempting to cover Vikings star WR Justin Jefferson in Week 11.

It was hardly a breakout performance, but Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson was just too much for the Green Bay Packers defense in Week 11. Jefferson hauled in eight passes totaling 169 receiving yards, tying Randy Moss and JuJu Smith-Schuster for the most 100-yard games in their first two NFL seasons.

It was the most receiving yards this Green Bay defense has allowed to a single receiver all season. Jamar Chase racked up 159 yards in Week 5, but the Cincinnati Bengals still loss 25-22 in overtime.

The Packers’ pass defense has been good all year and still ranks in the top 10 even after a 341-yard game from Kirk Cousins. Cousins is having a career year, mostly thanks to his reliance on Jefferson. Jefferson is now fourth in the NFL in yards and is possibly on his way toward another All-Pro year.

Green Bay needs to use this game as a learning experience as they will have to worry about Jefferson for years to come. Maybe if Jaire Alexander is healthy and available, Jefferson’s box score looks a little different. Regardless, these two teams will meet again in Week 17, and the Packers must do a better job of containing Minnesota’s best weapon.

To get a better idea of what went into Jefferson’s huge day, let’s look at the film.

Tough to say what happened here without knowing the defensive call. The field side is in man, but King appears to be in zone and dropping into a deep 1/3. Jefferson is running a deep over and is left completely uncovered for an easy pitch and catch. Either this is a really good play call by the offense against this specific coverage, or King has a mental error that leads to a huge gain.

Looks like the Packers are in Cover 3. Darnell Savage appears to pass off the deep out to Eric Stokes, who has most of his attention on Jefferson going deep. Instead of carrying Jefferson, Stokes gets caught in no man’s land. Meanwhile, Adrian Amos is deep center field and is late to get over the top on Jefferson. Amos is possibly expecting the deep post as his leverage is heavy to the inside. If he continues his initial steps toward the right hash, he is in much better position to make the play.

Bad rep by Stokes here letting Jefferson eat up his cushion without utilizing his backpedal. Jefferson uses a nice rocker step to get Stokes turned around, and Cousins sees that Savage has his back turned to that side of the field. Perhaps Savage was trying to bait this throw, but he is late to get his head turned, and the flag is thrown. Green Bay would be smart to try and bracket Jefferson in the future with less of a gamble on their play call.

The Packers couldn’t have scouted this look because Jefferson has never lined up in the backfield before. It’s a nice wrinkle by Minnesota to allow Jefferson to run an option route. It’s third and goal at the nine, so Green Bay is playing the sticks, trying to prevent the touchdown. However, the Vikings get the look they want with Henry Black one on one with Jefferson.

Not much you can do here but tip your cap to Jefferson. Chandon Sullivan is head up on Jefferson in the slot and uses a little shoulder fake to get the inside release. From there, Jefferson continues to work upfield, and at the top of the dig route, extends his arm to get extra separation. Nicely done.

Cover 0. There is no safety help over the top, so Green Bay is putting a lot of faith in their pass rush and their cover guys to not get beat over the top. Initially, Stokes does a nice job to disrupt Jefferson’s route with a nice jam. He then continues to stay in phase with Jefferson, who is running a simple fade. Honestly, Stokes played this really well, but there wasn’t much he could do. Jefferson gives him a little push to displace his balance, and the throw is perfect and on time. Good defense but better offense.

ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky crowns Vikings as having the best wide receiver tandem in the league

ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky has a solid pick for the best wide receiver duo in the NFL.

Minnesota QB Kirk Cousins led a more-aggressive Vikings offense on Sunday.

Cousins got away with a few throws into dangerous areas, like when he found Adam Thielen for a 26-yard gain late in the fourth quarter. Thielen finished with 82 receiving yards and a touchdown reception. Justin Jefferson also benefitted from the pass-happy Minnesota offense: he had 169 receiving yards and two touchdown grabs.

Whether Cousins was throwing deep or settling for shorter completions, Jefferson and Thielen made their quarterback look good on Sunday.

ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky has taken notice. Orlovsky tabbed Thielen and Jefferson as the best wide receiver duo in the NFL. You can see the full quote here:

Rex Ryan also had a promising quote regarding Minnesota: “They match up with the Green Bay Packers.”

Hopefully for the Vikings, that will come in handy at Lambeau Field on Jan. 2. By then, fans and analysts should know a lot more about both of these rivals — like their Super Bowl chances for 2021. For now, the Vikings will have to settle for Week 11 praise of their wide receivers.

Eagles news: Justin Jefferson’s historic start is the dark cloud hovering over a sunny future

Philadelphia #Eagles news: Justin Jefferson’s historic start with the #Vikings is the dark cloud hovering over a sunny future

The Eagles wouldn’t have DeVonta Smith on the roster, if not for the epic struggles of 2020, but one can truly daydream and say what-if on Howie Roseman making a different decision in the draft.

Former LSU star Justin Jefferson thought he was headed to Philadelphia during the 2020 NFL draft when the Eagles made an about-face and selected Jalen Reagor.

Jefferson ended up in Minnesota, Philadelphia drafted Jalen Reagor and the rest is going to become bitter history.

21 teams passed on Jefferson during the 2020 NFL Draft, but Philadelphia is the one team that passed on him last.

On Sunday Jefferson became the first Vikings player with 100+ receiving yards in the first quarter since Randy Moss in 1999.

Here’s a breakdown of Jefferson’s dominance over his first 26 NFL games and the trickle-down impact of Roseman passing.

Vikings, Packers trade incredible touchdown passes

The Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings game has traded touchdown passes late in the fourth quarter.

The NFC North clash between the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings has turned into a showcase for phenomenal wide receivers.

Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson is going catch for catch with Green Bay’s Davante Adams.

Jefferson made his second TD grab of the game — Adams has a pair, too — and the 2-point conversion by Dalvin Cook gave the Vikings a 31-24 lead.

With two minutes left, Adams and Jefferson each have seven catches. Jefferson’s have gone for 163 yards while Adams’ for 115.

The lead didn’t last as Aaron Rodgers hit Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a 75-yard TD on the first play after the kickoff.

The game was  tied at 31.

The good, the bad, the ugly from Chargers’ loss to Vikings

Highlighting what went in the Chargers’ favor and what did not in their loss to the Vikings in Week 10.

The Chargers fell to the Vikings, 27-20, in Week 10 of the 2021 season.

To recap, here is a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly from Los Angeles’ loss to Minnesota:

The good

Offensive line

The Chargers might not have had success on the offensive side of the ball, but the one sure thing is the line is not to blame for their abysmal showing. While the group did benefit from quick passes at times, the unit allowed just five pressures on the day. Another positive to note, Storm Norton allowed just one pressure for the second consecutive week.

Pass rush

Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen had their way. The majority of it falls on the secondary. Nonetheless, Kirk Cousins was still in the face of pressure throughout the game, particularly from Joey Bosa and Uchenna Nwosu. They combined for 17 pressures.

Run defense

It has been quite some time since this has found its way under this category. The Chargers made the point to put more bodies in the box to stop the run. As a result, the Vikings were held to 3.1 yards per carry on 33 attempts. The team’s tackling still needs to be cleaned up, nonetheless. Far from shored up, but encouraging signs.

The bad

Tevaughn Campbell

Campbell was showing growth on a weekly basis, but he took a step back on Sunday. With Campbell lined up against Jefferson for the majority of the afternoon, Cousins went to the wideout early and often. He finished with nine catches on 11 targets for 143 yards.

Punt coverage

The Chargers’ punt coverage return unit has primarily consisted of rookies, and the lack of veteran experience was evident, especially after the loss of Ryan Smith. The Vikings exploited the youth, averaging 23 yards per punt, with a long of 45 yards.

Penalties

The Chargers were dinged for seven infractions for a total of 52 yards. The team has dealt with consistency in this area, and it has come back to bite them. Los Angeles must be more disciplined.

The ugly

Offensive output

The Chargers had their best offensive outing a week before against the Eagles, but they took a step back in Week 10. While they had their moments, it was not good enough to sustain drives for a long duration.

Quarterback Justin Herbert was far from perfect, as he only threw for 195 yards and had an interception. However, that all ties into missed throws, dropped passes, pass protection breakdowns, and play calls that forced him to come short of the sticks.

Defensive execution 

The Chargers were able to get off the field in the first half, as the Vikings converted just one of their six third downs. However, it was a complete 360 in the last two quarters. Los Angeles allowed 4-of-6 conversions on third down.

One of the two stops was on 3rd-and-20 on the final drive, but an 18-yard completion to Thielen put Dalvin Cook in the perfect position to close out the game. The team was without Michael Davis and Nasir Adderley, which led to the big plays given up in coverage.

Between the two uglies, it resulted in Minnesota owning the time of possession, 36:15 to 23:45. In order to win games, the Bolts need to be better in both facets.

Chargers’ lack of depth in secondary exploited vs. Vikings

The Vikings had success in the passing game against the Chargers.

Brandon Staley’s defense is predicated on eliminating the deep passing game. However, that was far from the case in the Chargers’ loss to the Vikings last Sunday.

It did not take Kirk Cousins that long to diagnose the mismatch between Tevaughn Campbell and Justin Jefferson quickly.

With Campbell lined up against Jefferson for the majority of the afternoon, Cousins went to the wideout early and often. He finished with nine catches on 11 targets for 143 yards.

Campbell got the start in place of Michael Davis, who was out for the second straight week with a hamstring injury.

Not only that, but another reason for Jefferson’s field day was because Los Angeles was missing Nasir Adderley, who was out with an ankle issue.

In Adderley’s absence, Alohi Gilman and Trey Marshall split playing time. Marshall did an adequate job while Gilman had his struggles.

In the first half, the Chargers held their own, largely thanks to the pass rush between Joey Bosa and Uchenna Nwosu. The Vikings converted just one of their six third downs through the first two quarters.

That quickly fell apart as the Bolts returned to the field, as they allowed 4-of-6 conversions on third down in the second half.

One of the two stops was on 3rd-and-20 on the final drive, but the 18-yard completion to Adam Thielen put Dalvin Cook in a perfect position to close out the game.

Asante Samuel Jr. returned to the action after missing last weekend’s game due to a concussion. Samuel was solid, allowing just 60 yards on the day. Chris Harris Jr. also had himself a good game after struggling in weeks prior.

But Cousins’ success with Jefferson primarily and in crucial situations speaks to the Chargers’ lack of depth and overall experience in the starting role in the secondary.

In their game against the Chargers, the Vikings won an unofficial rivalry

Vikings Twitter had an easier time arguing with Chargers Twitter after Sunday’s win.

Who had the better rookie season: WR Justin Jefferson or QB Justin Herbert? Who’s the better receiver: Jefferson or Keenan Allen?

These are oft-discussed topics among the Chargers and Vikings fanbases. The teams’ social media accounts have even gotten in on the action. So when the Vikings upset the Chargers on the road in Week 10, the game felt more important than just another nonconference matchup.

Jefferson made a play in the first half that perfectly encapsulated the unofficial rivalry. The Vikings wide receiver made a nice catch that led to him running out of bounds on the Chargers’ sideline. Jefferson, seeing Allen on the bench, flipped the ball to the Los Angeles wideout.

You can see if here:

Jefferson said on Twitter that he was just having fun:

Like Jefferson, I think Vikings fans are mostly having fun with this not-so-heated rivalry. But of course, the Minnesota fanbase had to let Los Angeles fans know about a few things after the win:

The Vikings moved to 4-5 with the win. Minnesota will have a chance to get back to .500 against Green Bay on Sunday in Week 11.

Look how mad Chargers CB Chris Harris Jr. got when the Vikings convert on first down

Chargers CB Chris Harris Jr. was ANGRY.

The Vikings upset the Chargers on Sunday, but it wasn’t easy: Minnesota needed third-down conversions, fourth-down conversions and timely turnovers. The Vikings closed out the game when Dalvin Cook converted on fourth-and-two late in the fourth quarter.

Minnesota also moved the chains at a key moment towards the end of the third quarter. Vikings QB Kirk Cousins found WR Justin Jefferson over the middle on third down. Jefferson was well past cornerback Chris Harris Jr. and well past the first-down marker. Harris, despite appearing to be the Chargers player closest to Jefferson, let his frustration get the best of him.

See for yourself:

Jefferson finished with nine receptions on 11 targets and 143 receiving yards. After Jefferson had a few quiet games, the Vikings wide receiver created separation on routes and hauled in tough catches — much to the dismay of Harris and the rest of the Chargers secondary.

The Vikings moved to 4-5 with the win. The Chargers dropped to 5-4.