Calvin Johnson and Justin Jefferson Walk into a Bar
K. Joudry
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Few, if any, have ever been as gifted as Calvin Johnson.
The former Lion came in at 6’5″, 237 pounds. Somehow, he still managed to put together a 4.35 forty. He’s now in the Hall of Fame, which is simply the crowning achievement to what was an incredibly productive career. He went to the Pro Bowl six times, he was a first-team All Pro three times, a second-team All Pro once, and finished in third place for the Offensive Player of the Year award in 2012 (an award that was given to Adrian Peterson).
The man retired when he was still playing football at a very high level, hanging up the cleats after the 2015 season. Take a look at how an ESPN article covers the news: “The most prolific wide receiver in franchise history and one of the most talented at the position in NFL history is retiring after nine professional seasons in which he accumulated over 11,000 receiving yards, seven 1,000-yard seasons and six Pro Bowl invitations. Johnson holds nearly every significant franchise record; the man nicknamed ‘Megatron’ holds 15 NFL records, including the most receiving yards in a season with 1,964 in 2012.”
The single-season yardage record still stands, though Justin Jefferson did give it a whirl last year. Why are these two greats walking into a bar (so to speak)?
Calvin Johnson, Justin Jefferson, and Unexpected Success
In his final season, Johnson saw his Lions finish with a 7-9 record. Yet again, the team failed to capitalize on having a truly elite talent at a premium position. He then retired, leaving many in Detroit discouraged about the team’s prospects moving forward.
Something strange happened in 2016, though. Instead of the expected step back, Detroit actually got better. The 7-9 record flipped around to 9-7, leading to a playoff appearance (which promptly ended in a loss). Now, there’s a logical trap here — correlation & causation — that would insist that subtracting Johnson was the impetus for the improvement, as if the Hall of Famer was holding his squad back.
Clearly, Megatron wasn’t hurting his team, and yet the simple reality remains: the Lions did better in the year immediately following his absence. Matthew Stafford didn’t get to throw to a superstar, but he did coax more than 1,000 yards out of Golden Tate, more than 900 yards out of Marvin Jones, more than 700 yards out of Eric Ebron, and more than 500 yards out of Anquan Boldin.
Fast forward a few years and move over a couple states.
Minnesota is working through life without Justin Jefferson, someone who did win Offensive Player of the Year. The Vikings began their season at 1-4 and then lost the WR1 to the injured reserve. Many, including your truly, were preparing the funeral procession for the Vikings’ 2023 season.
Rather than lose, though, the Vikings have done the exact opposite. There have been four games without Jefferson and four wins for the Vikings. What was once a hideous 1-4 record is now a respectable 5-4. All without Mr. Jefferson. Even the losses of Kirk Cousins, Marcus Davenport, Christian Darrisaw, Cam Akers, K.J. Osborn, and others haven’t been able to slow down this train (let all the hyped Vikings fans in Duluth yell in unison, allll aboooooooaaaarrdddd!).
What gives?
Replacing Jefferson — like Megatron in Michigan — is impossible if the task falls to a single person. Each receiver operates at a level that is, without exaggeration, historic. By definition, a historic player is someone who refuses to be replaced in a simple manner since they’re capable of doing things that literally no one else has done.
Kevin O’Connell has thus been wise to turn toward a committee approach. Jordan Addison has taken over as the team’s top receiver, an assignment he has handled with aplomb. Most will think of his Monday Night Football explosion against the 49ers, but it’s worth noting that his strong play goes beyond just that single contest (even if it has been the climactic moment of his rookie season).
The Vikings have also seen Brandon Powell shine, T.J. Hockenson shake off some early season struggles, and K.J. Osborn re-assert himself as a top-tier competitor who can make plays when called upon. Sprinkled into the mix have been the occasional plays for guys like Josh Oliver, Johnny Mundt, Ty Chandler, Alexander Mattions, and Trishton Jackson.
Balanced and unpredictable, the Vikings offense has actually gotten better without Jefferson. Dustin Baker puts it this way in a recent piece for Vikings Territory: “Ordinarily, the Vikings offense would retreat in its shell like a turtle without Jefferson, but this situation is markedly different with Kevin O’Connell in charge. When Jefferson played in the first five games, Minnesota’s offense ranked 17th per EPA/Play. Without him, from Weeks 6-9, Minnesota’s offense has checked in at seventh per the same metric. It’s bonkers.”
Bonkers is a good word. But, nevertheless, it’s what’s actually occurring.
Before long, Justin Jefferson is going to be welcomed back into the purple fold. He met with the media yesterday, confirming that his full intent is to return to help his team in 2023. Being ready for the Saints game is almost certainly not going to happen, but the Week 11 (at Broncos) and Week 12 (Bears) contests are certainly possible. Week 13 offers the needed reset that accompanies a bye.
When Jefferson returns, the Vikings will need to ensure they keep leaning into the playcalling brilliance that has allowed the offense to thrive in the receiver’s absence. Doing so could be enough to push the Vikings closer and closer to an unlikely playoff appearance.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.