No Surprise: Justin Jefferson Snags NFC’s Weekly Award
K. Joudry
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Well, this one shouldn’t surprise too many people. Justin Jefferson – Minnesota’s WR1 and one of the NFL’s preeminent players – has won the NFC’s Offensive Player of the Week Award.
Take a peak what Pro Football Talk had to say:
Jefferson finished the game with 10 catches for 193 yards and a touchdown in the contest. On Wednesday, the NFL announced that Jefferson has been named the NFC offensive player of the week.
It’s the second time he’s taken the weekly prize and it feels like there will be many more awards to come for one of the most prolific receivers in the game.
Indeed, it’s certainly fair to say that we should expect him to keep getting recognition. He’s only 23, folks, and he’s already elite. After just 9 games, Jefferson has cleared 1000 receiving yards. We mustn’t forget that the lofty yardage total even comes after some modest production in Week 2 and 3.
Moving forward, the Vikings will be hoping that Justin Jefferson keeps playing at an award-winning level. If he does, then the rest of the offense benefits.
The most direct impact simply comes from the plays he makes, but let’s not forget how he sets up his teammates. All the other pass catchers find more room on the field because there is so much attention on Jefferson. The run game, moreover, faces less men in the box since the defense must account for the possibility of #18 scorching them.
The next test will arrive this weekend. The Dallas Cowboys are 6-3, an indication that they’ll be a difficult team to beat. Dan Quinn – their defensive coordinator – has his side of the ball playing well. Coming off a close loss to Green Bay, Dallas ought to be very motivated to get back on track.
One of the main concerns for the Vikings will be if the Cowboys pass rush can get to Kirk Cousins early and often. That outcome would make it difficult to find Jefferson with regularity.
Alas, we’ll need to wait for the game itself to see what transpires. One thing we can say for certain is that an identical performance from Justin Jefferson would lead to some consideration for another award or two.
