Sep 14, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports.
The Minnesota Vikings host the Detroit Lions at US Bank Stadium in a huge NFC North showdown this Sunday.
The winner will sit at the top of the division, and a Vikings win would see them create some separation not only in the division but also in the conference. One Viking has particularly enjoyed playing the Lions since entering the league. This Sunday, Justin Jefferson looks to continue his phenomenal record vs. the Lions and produce another monster game.
Over the last four seasons, Jefferson has played against the Lions eight times. In those eight games, Jefferson has 62 catches from 83 targets for 1073 yards and 3 touchdowns. That incredible record includes his career-best game of 223 receiving yards. The full breakdown of each of Jefferson’s games against the Lions is as follows;
2020
2021
2022
2023
The Week 3 game in 2022 was the one time the Lions could keep Jefferson quiet – the Vikings won the game with touchdowns from KJ Osborn, Adam Thielen, Dalvin Cook, and Alexander Mattison. Outside of that, the Lions simply haven’t been able to handle Jefferson. It hasn’t always translated into wins, with the Lions winning four of the last five meetings — the series is 4-4 in the eight games Jefferson has played against the Lions.
The Vikings will be hoping for another big day from their star player, but with more help from the supporting cast than last season. Even at this early stage of the season, this is a huge game. Expecting a heavy dose of Jefferson in the Vikings offensive plan would be fair. The Lions will be without star pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson, significantly weakening their pass defense. First-round rookie CB Terrion Arnold was drafted to answer the Lions’ weakness on the boundary. So far, he’s found life difficult, posting a lowly coverage grade of 47.3 across the first five games and allowing a passer rating of 91.1, per Pro Football Focus.
On the other side, the Lions have Carlton Davis, a solid veteran CB who arrived in Detroit after six seasons in Tampa Bay. Davis is on the injury report with a quad injury, his fitness is something to keep an eye on. Second-round rookie Ennis Rakestraw would be in line for an increased role should Davis not be good to go. It will be a big ask for the Lions’ secondary to slow down Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Especially without the presence of Hutchinson upfront. The smart money would be on Jefferson putting up big numbers once again.
It almost felt like a quiet start to the season for Jefferson by his lofty standards, but his 450 receiving yards are sixth most in the league. All five players ahead of him except for Nico Collins have played a game more with their bye week still to come. The following seven players trailing him have also yet to have their bye week.
Collins leads the league with 567 yards but missed the Texans last game due to a hamstring injury. Collins has been placed on the Reserve/Injured list, will miss at least three more games, and has a bye week in Week 14. I wouldn’t bet against Jefferson leading the league in receiving yards when all is said and done.
The Vikings offense hasn’t been about throwing for 400+ yards this season. It hasn’t needed to be; they have gotten ahead early in all games and looked for a controlled and balanced offense. Sam Darnold hasn’t had a 300-yard passing game yet as a Viking, but the time when the Vikings will have to stay on the attack will come – possibly this weekend. One area Jefferson did start on an unprecedented pace was touchdowns. Scoring in each of the first four games, he is well on pace to beat his highest-scoring season of 10 — which came in 2021.
Jefferson will undoubtedly have a big say in how this game unfolds, but as we’ve seen in recent meetings, he can’t win the game on his own.