Justin Jefferson in Week 18 Could Get Dicey
Justin Jefferson is officially giving himself a chance, and that’s as much as the talented wide receiver would hope for in these final two weeks of the regular season.
While the Minnesota Vikings have their playoff berth locked up, there’s little more to play for than seeding, and despite that, head coach Kevin O’Connell may have a tough call.
When the Minnesota Vikings travel to Green Bay this weekend, they will be playing outdoor football for the first time since November 13. They have yet to play a cold weather game this year, and while the forecast doesn’t call for the frigid temperatures the NFL saw over Christmas weekend, it isn’t going to be a heat wave.
Justin Jefferson in Week 18 Could Get Dicey
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The Vikings handled business in Week 1 by downing Green Bay in a laugher. All season long, the league has seen that Matt LaFleur’s team is suspect at best, but they are in position to make the playoffs by winning out, and continuing that run against a division rival would be icing on the cake for the Packers.
How Justin Jefferson figures into the game this weekend, and Week 18’s matchup against the Bears, remains to be seen. There’s no denying he’s forcing the hand of the organization, however.
A few weeks ago, Jefferson needed to average over 125 yards per game to track down 2,000 on the season. In reaching that mark, he would be the first to accomplish such a feat at the NFL level and surpass Calvin Johnson’s single-season receiving record.
After a 133-yard output against the New York Giants on Saturday, Jefferson has turned things up a notch. Throughout his past three games, Jefferson has averaged just shy of 160 yards per game while reeling in at least 11 receptions. His target share has been monstrous, seeing 15 once and 16 twice in those contests. Suggesting that the tilt against New York would line things up for the final two weeks, a late screen play busted for additional yardage certainly helped to pad the stats.
You can bet that Green Bay will be looking to do a better job against Jefferson than the 184-yard explosion they allowed in Week 1 at U.S. Bank Stadium. That game was the lone blowout of the season for Minnesota and was mainly in hand from the get-go. Still, with more of a focus on ending the contest when it got late, Jefferson put up numbers.
Green Bay’s Jaire Alexander will arguably be the last strong cornerback he faces during the regular season, and you can bet he’ll try to shadow the Vikings top man. It’s not the first time Jefferson has seen that type of defensive pressure in 2022, however, and O’Connell has seemingly adjusted a gameplan that produced paltry numbers early against the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles.
Obviously, the goal of both Jefferson and the Vikings is bigger than anything that can be accomplished during the regular season. Eyeing a ring, they will need each of their playmakers healthy and firing on all cylinders. For a guy who has racked up so many records, however, it will be hard to hold him back for the second year in a row with a milestone on the line.
As he has done plenty this season, Jefferson can set up a scenario in which the decision becomes more evident with a strong foot forward Sunday. If he could surpass 200 yards again, or even top 150, it should be a no-brainer to allow him an opportunity for history at Soldier Field.
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Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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