While the outcome of Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers has no playoff implications for either team, there will still be plenty of storylines to watch. Will Harrison Smith play his last game in purple? Will the 900th different offensive line combination find success? And, finally, will superstar receiver Justin Jefferson reach his sixth-straight season of 1,000 or more yards?
The streak nearly ended in 2023, when Jefferson played just 10 games due to injury. Entering the Week 18 matchup with the Detroit Lions, he still needed 118 yards to make it happen. But, against all odds, he put up 192 yards in the season finale to eclipse the milestone by 74 yards. So does he, or more likely do the Vikings’ quarterbacks, have some more of that same magic in 2025?
Justin Jefferson has just two 100-yard outings this year, and has averaged just 45 yards per game since the Vikings’ bye week in mid-October. He needs 53 yards on Sunday to keep the streak alive, and, oddly, that feels like a big mountain to climb. So how much does this all matter? It’s just an individual stat, and the sun will still rise tomorrow if the streak ends. But in a season where nothing has gone right, the team and the fans need a win.
Kevin O’Connell could abandon all semblance of a balanced offense and force-feed his superstar to ensure the milestone — and from the way he’s spoken about it, he just might.
“I don’t want that 1,000-yard mark to stop on my watch,” said O’Connell a few weeks ago. “He’s too good of a receiver.”
He again addressed it this week, emphasizing that they’ll make sure Jefferson gets his targets.
“This is our last opportunity, he said, “so we want to try to get him involved as much as we can.”
That certainly sounds like a coach who will do everything within reason to get his star receiver to his goal. And why shouldn’t he? Justin Jefferson is the heart and soul of the team and deserves to get his flowers. Besides, he’s still the best player on the field. It shouldn’t be too shocking to find the Vikings want to involve him heavily.
Last year, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers faced a similar problem with Mike Evans. Evans had 10 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and was in jeopardy of seeing his epic streak come to an end. So all Tampa Bay did was proceed to hurl 14 passes Evans’ way, eventually getting him his record-tying 11th straight season. The Vikings could easily do something similar, although the McCarthy-to-Jefferson connection hasn’t exactly been dialed in.
Throwing at Jefferson hasn’t been the problem. He’s still ninth in the league in targets this year and has five double-digit target games. The issue has been getting the play to end in a reception. Jefferson is catching just 58% of the balls thrown his way, by far his career low, and almost everyone can share the blame. When McCarthy isn’t launching throws into the second row at U.S. Bank, Jefferson hasn’t been as sure-handed as usual. While he’s only officially been credited with three drops on the year, there have been plenty of balls he hasn’t reeled in that he typically caught in previous seasons.
At this point, it’s unclear if McCarthy will suit up in the game after injuring his hand two weeks ago, but backup Max Brosmer doesn’t exactly instill much confidence either. Jefferson needs 53 yards, and Brosmer threw for a grand total of 52 last week against Detroit. Had gunslinger Nick Mullens still been on the roster, the milestone surely would’ve been hit weeks ago. McCarthy still provides the best chance at getting Jefferson to his 1,000, but if he can’t go, it might be time to worry.
The division-rival Packers may not be too keen on allowing the streak to continue on their watch, either. Sack leader Myles Garrett claimed that the Pittsburgh Steelers purposely went out of their way to prevent him from setting the all-time record last week. Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin denied it, however, saying stopping him was always part of the game plan regardless of records. Either way, the Packers are well aware of Minnesota’s desperation and might be inclined to play a little differently than usual.
Ultimately, the team is playing for a win, and Jefferson’s streak is secondary to that. But it’s obvious that Jets wants it, O’Connell wants it, and most everyone in Minnesota wants to see the 1,000-yard streak continue. What’s not clear is how much the Vikings are willing to sacrifice to reach it. There’s been eight games this year that Justin Jefferson finished with fewer than 53 yards, including five of the last six.
Minnesota shouldn’t start tossing the ball up into triple coverage, but in an otherwise lost season, this streak is important. C’mon Vikings, the people need this.
