The Minnesota Vikings came up just short in their bid to beat the Detroit Lions in Week 7 and remain one of the league’s two undefeated teams. Despite jumping out to an early 10-0 lead on the Lions, the Vikings gave up three straight scoring drives to fall into a 21-10 hole before mounting a comeback of their own, but ultimately falling just short.
The loss is a tough one for the Vikings and their fans, but it didn’t come without some highlights. There was the continued dominance of edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel, a spectacular scoop-and-score fumble return by linebacker Ivan Pace, Jr., and a performance by wide receiver Justin Jefferson that saw him climb up the Vikings’ all-time receiving list in two categories.
Early in the third quarter, Jefferson came down with a highlight-reel grab to come down with his fifth touchdown of the season, prompting a “I’m like that!” statement from Jefferson before hitting his patented Griddy celebration.
That touchdown was Jefferson’s 35th of his career, breaking a tie with wide receiver Ahmad Rashad for the seventh-most receiving touchdowns in Minnesota Vikings’ history. But Jefferson’s historic day didn’t end there.
Jefferson ended the day with seven receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown. Those 81 yards were good enough to move Jefferson into 6th place all-time on the receiving yards list, passing Sammy White. With just four yards in Thursday’s Week 8 game against the Rams, Jefferson will pass another Vikings’ all-time great, Jake Reed, for fifth place on that list, leaving him behind only Adam Thielen, Anthony Carter, Randy Moss, and Cris Carter.
Jefferson’s 81 yards on Sunday gives him 6,430 yards in his career in just 66 games, giving Jefferson by far the most receiving yards per game (97.7) of any receiver in team history — among receivers with at least double-digit receptions, with Moss a distant second at 82.4.