Even as the Vikings Try to Rewrite the Story, All Eyes Will Be on a High-Profile Quandary
Kevin O’Connell was asked about the problem earlier in the week, forced to defend Justin Jefferson’s effort (lack thereof) after J.J. McCarthy tossed the ball all over the field.
The Vikings trying to rewrite the story isn’t particularly surprising. Coach O’Connell acknowledged the receiver’s frustration but shifted it away from the quarterback and onto the referees. And, sure, Jefferson’s body language wasn’t ideal, but that’s because he is competitive. Oh, and another thing: Jefferson saw a touchdown pass hit him in the hands before falling to the turf, so he should take a look at the man in the mirror, too. Do these verbal gymnastic assuage the concerns?
The Vikings Trying to Rewrite the WR1 & QB1 Dynamic
If Jefferson is frustrated, then I can’t blame him.
He is an incredibly talented receiver, someone capable of winning all over the field. Where he’s particularly lethal is on those intermediate routes when he’s allowed to cross the field or shake a corner out of his cleats on a post route. Put the ball within his vicinity and he’s going to make the play more often than not. Put the ball directly into his hands and he’ll even pickup impressive yards after the catch.
Note, as well, that Mr. Jefferson isn’t a stranger to adjusting to new quarterbacks.
All of Kirk Cousins, Nick Mullens, Joshua Dobbs, Jaren Hall, Sam Darnold, Carson Wentz, and McCarthy have taken turns working with the all-time great. So far, McCarthy appears to be the one struggling the most (Hall wasn’t great, but that experiment that was pretty limited).
Somehow, McCarthy’s concerningly-low 53.7% completion rate gets worse when going after the top receiver. He’s completing just 50% of his throws to Jefferson, going 17/34.
And, to be sure, Justin Jefferson is a great competitor. Anyone who has followed the receiver’s career knows as much. He is tough and physical, consistently putting in extra effort to make a difference. His teammates reasonably look to him for leadership and he has clearly spent a pile of time working on his craft.
But while all of these intangibles make Jefferson special, the intangibles also make the current situation fairly concerning.
The way that Jefferson deflated after the Week 10 McCarthy interceptions is reason for Minnesota’s leadership to eagerly ensure a solution gets found. Clearly, the receiver wasn’t particularly pleased with how things were unfolding. Is that due to failing to clear 100 yards receiving at any point with McCarthy tossing him the ball? Being so often missed when he could have made the play? Or, perhaps, is some of the frustration due to the factors Coach O’Connell mentioned (pesky referees and so on)?
As Week 11 quickly arrives, the Vikings can’t focus too much on last week. The Ravens game was ugly for a variety of reasons. What’s important now is rectifying the various issues, the most glaringly concerning of which being the on-field discontent from the franchise’s top player, Justin Jefferson.
Winning is going to quiet a lot of the noise. Winning by seeing Jefferson explode with 10+ catches, 100+ yards, and 1+ touchdowns would be the icing on the purple cake.
All eyes will be on McCarthy targeting Jefferson for the game that’s scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. CT on Sunday, November 16th.
