The Vikings Have A Safety Blanket
The folks over at Pro Football Focus are busy ranking everything they can think of as we all wait for football to start again. Their latest ranking is for “safety blanket WRs, or receivers with the highest target rate when the QB is pressured. The Vikings have a WR in the top 10 list. No prizes for guessing who it is.
VikingsTerritory brings you the Vikings’ safety blanket per Pro Football Focus.
Yes, it’s Justin Jefferson, who else? PFF ranks the wide receivers by threat rate, which, as they explain in their article, “is simply target rate based on the number of routes the player runs.” Jefferson comes in at number five on the list with a 19.2% threat rate. Drake London tops the list with a 21.1% threat rate, and the rest of the top five is made up by Ladd McConkey (20.8%), Zay Flowers (20%), and Courtland Sutton (19.7%).
You Guessed it — Justin Jefferson Is the Vikings’ Safety Blanket
It will surprise no one that Sam Darnold turned to Jefferson when he was in trouble last season, just like Kirk Cousins did before him, and JJ McCarthy will surely do this season. You go to Jefferson when you’re in trouble because, if you give him half a chance, there’s every chance he comes down with the ball, even if the pass is not perfect.
The stats bear that out as PFF explained, beginning with last season:
Jefferson is one of the NFL’s best when pass rushers are bearing down on his quarterback, ranking in the top three in several metrics last season. He caught 31 of 49 pressured targets for 540 yards and 16 explosive gains (all top-two marks). He moved the chains 25 times (second most), gained 116 yards after the catch (third most), and led the position with five touchdowns. In all, Jefferson earned an 88.2 PFF receiving grade when his quarterback was pressured (second best).
Darnold’s rise from no-hoper to Pro Bowler last season had plenty to do with himself and Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell. It also helps immensely when you have a man of Jefferson’s monumental talents who can help get you out of a tricky spot. With Minnesota’s interior offensive line last season, there were plenty of tricky spots Darnold found himself in.
Jefferson Rescue Acts Nothing New
Vikings fans have become accustomed to seeing Jefferson pull off the miraculous. It’s what he does. The statistics for his ability on pressured targets date back to PFF’s assessment over the last three seasons.
No receiver has seen more pressured targets over the past three seasons (135), and Jefferson has turned those opportunities into first-place figures in catches (83), receiving yards (1,643), and PFF receiving grade (92.3). He has also gained 50 first downs (second most), caught 10 touchdown passes (second most), and recorded 49 explosive gains (most) while averaging 5.8 yards after the catch per reception (sixth best).
Those are incredible stats, with only Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver and former college teammate of Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, the only other man to get close to those numbers. In that span, Chase has recorded 1,000 receiving yards with double-digit touchdowns in pressured situations. As with most things at WR, Jefferson and Chase are clear of the pack.
There is plenty of talent on the Vikings offense with the likes of Aaron Jones, TJ Hockenson, and Jordan Addison. However, looking for Jefferson when you’re in trouble with a defender bearing down on you is never a bad idea. Expect the Vikings’ wideout to continue to be at the top of these metrics and continue being the Vikings’ safety blanket.
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