The Justin Jefferson Update Is Positive Heading into Week 15
Josh Frey
|
Vikings fans were very hopeful heading into Week 14’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders for one main reason.
That reason was Justin Jefferson’s return to the field after a seven-game stint on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury. Well, that return lasted about 1.5 quarters before the star wide receiver left the field again because of a chest injury.
After catching a 15-yard pass from Josh Dobbs, Jefferson was dealt a heavy hit from Raiders safety Marcus Epps and immediately left the field for the blue medical tent. He then headed back to the locker room and was ruled out by the team.
The Justin Jefferson Update Is Positive
The Vikings did manage to earn a 3-0 road victory and improve to 7-6 on the season, but any optimism from that game was diminished because of this latest injury to their star receiver. However, the Jefferson update appears to be positive for the moment.
After the game, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell gave an upbeat message regarding the star’s status. O’Connell said about Jefferson’s injury, “It looks like we avoided any significant thing there.”
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert provided further context on the injury by tweeting, “Justin Jefferson has returned from the hospital and will travel back to MIN with the Vikings. ‘Chest internal injury’ is what Kevin O’Connell called it. ‘Feel pretty encouraged’ about the early news, he said. Vikings have a short week heading into Saturday’s game at CIN.”
Jefferson’s debut ended with a pair of receptions which totaled 27 yards, and he went through the entire first quarter without a catch. It was a very modest day for the star even with the injury, but it was enough to ensure that he now holds the Vikings franchise record for most receiving yards through four seasons, passing Randy Moss.
It’s been a tumultuous few weeks for the Vikings on offense, and this past weekend, it culminated in another QB change for the team. Nick Mullens took over for Minnesota down the stretch of Sunday’s game, becoming the fourth quarterback to take snaps for the team this season.
It remains to be seen who will start in Week 15 against Cincinnati, but hopefully, Jefferson is healthy and able to return to the field against the Bengals.
Cincinnati has been rolling with new starting QB Jake Browning, and they also improved to 7-6 on the season by defeating the Indianapolis Colts by a score of 34-14.
Both teams will be coming off a short week ahead of their Week 15 game, which is set to take place on Saturday, December 16th at Paycor Stadium.
Playoff Hopes Are Alive and Well: Sunday Worked Out Perfectly for the Vikings
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.