Justin Jefferson fell to one knee after Ifeatu Melifonwu picked off Nick Mullens’ pass to end last Sunday’s game. Jefferson was open, and Mullens felt he had to stick the ball on him or lead him into the end zone. Instead, he threw it behind him. Jefferson sat on one knee, breathing heavily, beads of sweat swelling on his face.
“Very tired,” he said with a short laugh after a reporter asked him how he felt at that moment. “That was the main thing, just very tired. Just like I said, I gave everything, especially that last drive of the game, and we were just short on one play. And that’s just all that’s going through my mind.”
Jefferson had six receptions for 141 yards and was at his best in the game’s final moments. With 1:56 left in the game, Romeo Okwara hit Mullens as he dropped back on second-and-10, jarring the ball loose. John Cominsky tried to corral the ball. But it squibbed away from him, and Jefferson pounced on it.
“As soon as I seen Nick fumble, I was just really just thinking about the end of the game at that very moment,” said Jefferson. “So as I’m running toward the ball, I was hoping the lineman wasn’t able to pick it up, and he wasn’t able to pick it up, so I was happy to jump on the ball and continue that drive.”
The Minnesota Vikings faced third-and-27 on the next play, and Jefferson wrestled the ball away from Kerby Joseph and Cameron Sutton to convert the first down. Mullens spiked the ball to stop the clock with 1:05 left to play. After the game, K.J. Osborn said it was the same route concept and mechanics as Jefferson’s game-breaking catch in Buffalo last year.
“Pretty similar,” said Jefferson. “Similar situation; similar catch type. Just caught one with one hand, and we finished the game with the win in Buffalo.”
It was a similar catch but with different results. Not that Jefferson is at fault here. He often lobbies to throw the ball, and he can catch nearly anything a quarterback throws near him. But Jefferson can’t do both simultaneously. He understands the Vikings are in a difficult situation this year. Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles tendon in Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers, and Jefferson sustained a hamstring injury in Week 5.
Jefferson returned against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 14. However, he didn’t play the entire game because a hit he sustained in the second quarter sent him to the hospital. Jefferson never caught a pass from Jaren Hall or Joshua Dobbs, but he’s seen the difference in play between Cousins and them. Jefferson is the franchise, but he can’t be at his best without at least a league-average quarterback who can get him the ball.
“It’s definitely tough without him being there,” Jefferson said. “His leadership, his knowledge of the game. His awareness. It’s definitely a piece missing, just not having that main piece out there on the table.”
Cousins’ public perception improved after Netflix featured him in their Quarterback documentary. Many fans saw him as a relatable family man with endearing quirks, and coaches and executives believed he was playing the best football of his career entering this season. A week before suffering his season-ending injury in Green Bay, Cousins went 35/45 and threw for 378 yards in Minnesota’s Monday night upset over the San Francisco 49ers.
“I always have appreciation for Kirk, even when he’s out there or when he’s not out there,” said Jefferson. “People don’t see what goes on in the building. They don’t see the relationships that go on. They don’t see the connection that goes on.
“And me and Kirk have a great connection, even when he’s not throwing the ball, it’s great to have him around and to be around the building, him being himself, and him being the leader that he is.”
Cousins appeared to be playing his best football in his second year under Kevin O’Connell. But he’s 35 and coming off an Achilles tear. The Vikings shouldn’t, and likely won’t, extend him beyond a year if they bring him back. They must balance having someone under center who can get Jefferson the ball and searching for Cousins’ future replacement.
Still, it doesn’t look like Jefferson will be happy if they let Cousins walk. Given the quarterback play we’ve seen this season, who can blame him? The Vikings should always put Jefferson’s needs and desires above all else. He can change games if he has a quarterback who enables him to do so.
