Nov 6, 2022; Landover, Maryland, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) holds a ball during warmup prior to the game against the Washington Commanders at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports.
The Minnesota Vikings have been rolling to start the 2024 NFL season. With a 7-2 record through their first nine games, it’s hard to be disappointed about anything they have achieved. Justin Jefferson continues to look like the best wide receiver in the game, but he doesn’t currently have the most yards. If he’s going to get there, an insane game like the one Ja’Marr Chase posted should be coming.
Minnesota absolutely does not want to be the Cincinnati Bengals. Joe Burrow’s team is 4-6 this season, and they have been banged up virtually all year long. Still, Ja’Marr Chase leads the NFL with 981 receiving yards, and that’s largely a byproduct of his ridiculous output last week.
Although the Bengals lost to the Baltimore Ravens, it certainly wasn’t because of anything Burrow or Chase did. The quarterback popped off for 428 yards and four touchdowns. The receiver turned in 264 yards and three of those scores. It was a gargantuan effort from the duo and certainly a high-water point for Chase this season.
Justin Jefferson has continued to be Sam Darnold’s top option. He looks like a star every time he’s on the field, and he was so desirable for Minnesota’s quarterback on Sunday that Darnold threw multiple picks trying to force him the football. It’s not as though Jefferson’s 831 yards (currently second in the NFL) are a slight, but he has yet to really go crazy.
Through nine games, Jefferson has topped 100 yards just three times. His 48 yards on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars were the lowest output he has produced all year. He does have five touchdowns on the season, but he’s been held out of the end zone each of the past three weeks. It’s not like Jefferson is incapable of an earth-shattering performance, but when will it happen?
Minnesota would love to see their top wide receiver put up a 200-yard game. He hasn’t found the end zone multiple times in the same contest yet either. This weekend against the Tennessee Titans might be a tough matchup to make it happen. They hold passing games in check, and Darnold doesn’t seem like the quarterback capable of exposing them. There are still eight games left on the schedule, and finding one for Jefferson to go crazy would be great.
The Vikings don’t need Jefferson to ball out to prove anything. That doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be great to see an effort to vault him back into the top spot among receiving leaders.
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 daily for Minnesota Sports Fan. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.