With another win at Lambeau Field, the Minnesota Vikings have become the toast of the NFL. Pending the result of the Seattle Seahawks-Detroit Lions Monday night game, the Vikings are one of two teams, along with the Kansas City Chiefs, to remain undefeated after Week 4. With that comes several storylines, including Sam Darnold’s rise from draft bust to MVP candidate and Aaron Jones’ revenge tour.
But while Brian Flores’ defense has put everyone on notice, one thing remains the same. Although it gets lost in the headlines, Justin Jefferson remains the center of the Vikings’ universe.
Thanks to a mountain of gaudy stats, Jefferson became the NFL’s top receiver. No receiver has had more yards in the first four years of a career entering this season. His 97.8 yards per game ranks first in NFL history after Sunday’s win over the Green Bay Packers.
But this season has been different. Jefferson has 20 receptions and 358 yards through the first four games. His 20 receptions are the lowest since he served in a reserve role for the first two games of the 2020 season (16 catches). His 358 yards are the lowest since he racked up 338 yards in the first four games of the 2021 season.
If this start was in the Kirk Cousins/Mike Zimmer crucible of one-score games, the headlines might be asking what’s wrong with Jefferson. But Minnesota’s perfect record has stifled that silly debate. Jefferson’s ability to affect the game without the ball in his hands is a big reason why they are 4-0.
Sunday’s win over the Packers was a key example. The Packers were without top cornerback Jaire Alexander and knew they needed to neutralize Jefferson to have a chance. Focusing their coverage on Jefferson limited the Vikings star to just 27 receiving yards entering the fourth quarter. However, Minnesota was beating Green Bay with just about everything else.
Consider the first drive of the game when the Vikings backed themselves into a third-and-14. Although Darnold threw an incomplete pass to Jefferson that was almost intercepted on the previous play, the focus on Jefferson freed up Jalen Nailor for a 31-yard reception that kept the drive alive.
Minnesota cashed in on the following play when Darnold hit Jordan Addison for a 29-yard touchdown to give the Vikings a 7-0 lead.
The Vikings tried to get Jefferson involved on the second drive, but Green Bay’s aggressive approach drew a pass interference penalty on a third-and-two that put Minnesota on the goal line. Keisean Nixon’s holding penalty on the following play moved Minnesota to the one-yard line and Darnold threw his second touchdown pass of the game to Josh Oliver two plays later to put the Vikings up 14-0.
An end-around to Addison put the Vikings up 21-0 in the second quarter, and after Shaq Griffin intercepted Jordan Love, it was finally Jefferson’s turn to eat, snaring a Darnold pass out of thin air for a 14-yard touchdown and a 28-0 Minnesota lead.
The touchdown catch was an example of how Jefferson has impacted the Vikings this season. He’s not getting the gaudy volume he’s seen in other seasons. However, he’s maximizing opportunities for himself and his teammates like a deadly shooter can space the floor in a basketball game.
Consider the Week 1 game against the New York Giants when coverage was shaded toward Jefferson and left Nailor wide open for a 21-yard touchdown reception. Then there was the following week when Jefferson slipped behind the safeties and hauled in a 97-yard touchdown pass from Darnold that shifted momentum in a victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
In Week 3, Jones’ efficient effort on the ground helped Darnold toss four touchdown passes and the victory in Green Bay, where Jefferson didn’t have much yardage but made an impact thanks to his touchdown late in the first half.
While Jefferson hasn’t had the quantitative success he’s seen in some years, it’s been a qualitative shift. These catches mean more as he’s hitting The Griddy on the way to the end zone. As Brian O’Neill put it: “Special players do special s***.” While the mundane receptions are nice, the more impactful ones are helping the Vikings get over the hump.
It’s why the Vikings decided to zig instead of zag in a quarterback-driven league, paying the incomparable Jefferson instead of an aging Kirk Cousins. While you could have made an argument to pay both last spring, Jefferson is the rare talent who thrives despite his surroundings.
Switch out Cousins for Darnold? Not a problem. Lose Addison for a few weeks? Jefferson’s got it. Is the running game struggling? Jefferson will take the top off the defense. Lost in the shuffle? Jefferson appears at the most significant time of the game.
It’s not something people will notice, especially in a league where the MVP award has been given to the best quarterback. But Jefferson seems to have one hell of a case. While it’s not 2012 Adrian Peterson levels of production, it’s providing a similar impact and might keep one of the NFL’s best storylines after four weeks more than just a Cinderella story.
