Justin

Jefferson

Jefferson appeared visibly frustrated on the sideline in the second half after failing to coral any of the three targets thrown his way after the break, potentially a sign of a lack of trust in quarterback Sam Darnold. That is of particular intrigue considering the franchise reportedly loves J.J. McCarthy and Darnold’s contract terminates this year, something that could lead to a change at signal caller heading into the new league year in Minnesota. Jefferson’s stellar 2024 season ends with 103 catches for 1,533 yards and 10 touchdowns, narrowly edged in the receptions department by triple crown-winning wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.

Lions cornerback Amik Robertson was in Jefferson’s back pocket throughout the game, notably holding the alpha wide receiver without a catch after halftime on his way to a disappointing outing. The loss sends the Vikings to the No. 5 seed and to a road date with the Rams in the Wildcard Round, one of only two teams to defeat the Vikings this season (the Lions beat them twice). Jefferson did have 115 yards in that game, meaning fantasy gamers in playoff leagues can likely target Jefferson with confidence.

Jefferson brought in just two passes in the first half, and fantasy managers playing in their championship game couldn’t have been too happy with the involvement. The 25-year-old broke out in the second half, however, and while he didn’t find the end zone, it’s still a solid outing for a 25-year-old, even if it didn’t quite live up to expectations. Jefferson will get another double-digits in targets — barring something unforeseeable — in Week 18 against the Lions in the biggest game of the year.

Jefferson was on a mission from start to finish against a middling Seattle coverage unit that did not tilt coverage toward Jefferson like most Minnesota opponents have this season. Averaging 14.5 yards per catch, Jefferson hauled in a pair of scores, including the game-winning touchdown catch with less than two minutes to go. Jefferson, who now has five touchdowns over his past three outings, led the team by comfortable margins in every receiving category in Week 16. As usual, he’ll be an elite play in Week 17 against the Packers, against whom he had 85 yards and a score in Week 4.

His touchdown came as he ran a crosser in the back of the end zone and blew by a trail defender, it was one of the most open looks he’s had all season. Unfortunately Jefferson dropped another ball near the five-yard line that looked like it had scoring potential when he tried to turn and run with the ball before it got there. Jefferson took another Sam Darnold pass 17 yards to the one before Aaron Jones vultured the score. Jefferson will remain a high-end WR1 in Week 16, even with a draw against a stingy Seahawks pass defense.

The scores, amazingly, were Jefferson’s first in seven weeks. He also got out-targeted 12-7 by Jordan Addison, who posted an 8/133/3 statline. Frustrating, though far less so when Jefferson himself finally goes off. Obviously perfect on his targets, Jefferson’s highlight was a 52-yard touchdown where he scrambled the defense so badly the nearest DB simply fell down. Jefferson literally walked into the end zone. Jefferson hasn’t reached 10 targets since before the Vikings’ Week 6 bye, but Addison’s re-emergence is at least creating space for Jefferson to get some wide-open looks again. He has 14 grabs on 16 targets over the past two weeks, piling up 231 yards in the process. That will do. Week 15 opponent Chicago has been stingy against the pass, but Jefferson will still be parked in the top five.

Jefferson was uninvolved in the first half, with Sam Darnold looking early and often to Jordan Addison and Jalen Nailor instead of his all-world wideout. Darnold eventually force fed Jefferson in the second half, connecting for a 25-yarder and a 30-yard gain. Sunday was Jefferson’s sixth straight outing without a touchdown. His modest production — compared to other seasons in his prolific career — can be largely attributed to the Vikings operating a conservative offense, made possible by the team’s elite defense. Jefferson gets a date with an exploitable Atlanta secondary in Week 14.

First they came for Jefferson’s ceiling. Then they took his floor. At the end of four quarters, this was the worst box score of his career with just one catch for seven yards. He did break loose for a long touchdown on the Vikings’ final drive of regulation, but the play was called back on a penalty. Brandon Powell set an illegal pick that sprung Jefferson loose for the score, negating the play. A 20-yard grab in overtime saved Jefferson from a career-worst day but did little to cushion the blow for fantasy managers. While not useful for fantasy purposes, the Bears’ fixation on Jefferson allowed Jordan Addison to break out for 162 yards and a touchdown on eight receptions. Better days are ahead for Jefferson with the Cardinals on tap for Week 13, but he has just three 100-yard games this year and no multi-score performances to his name. His WR1 status is based primarily on a floor that looks a little shakier coming out of Week 12.

It was a solid game overall for Jefferson but not exactly the big game people expected when the Titans’ top corner, L’Jarius Sneed was ruled out with a quad injury. Jefferson remains the focal point of the Vikings’ offense, but he also remains the focal point of opposing defenses and today Sam Darnold simply took other opportunities when the Titans left guys uncovered. Jefferson will hope for a bigger game next week against the Texans.

Although he caught at least five passes for the seventh consecutive contest, Jefferson’s 48 yards were a new season low. It was only the second time all year he was held below 80. Three Sam Darnold picks had a lot to do with it. Jefferson was the intended target on all three miscues. It’s concerning in that Darnold’s play continues to regress, but Jefferson’s target share is remaining strong even with T.J. Hockenson back in the fold. Not that fantasy managers had any doubt there. Jefferson will try to bounce back in Week 11 against what’s been a reasonably strong Titans defense.