Justin Jefferson Is on the Verge of NFL History Heading into Week 2
Josh Frey
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This week, the Vikings get a fast turnaround following their Week 1 loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Minnesota is hoping for its first victory of the 2023 season as they are set to take on the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night at 7:15 PM.
Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but heading into the game, wide receiver Justin Jefferson is on the verge of making NFL history once again. Because of his 150-yard performance against the Buccaneers, Jefferson has now amassed 4975 receiving yards over the course of his NFL career.
Justin Jefferson Is (Again) On the Verge of NFL History
Jefferson has reached that total in just 51 career games, and with a measly 25 yards on Thursday night, he will surpass 5000 career receiving yards during his 52nd game. If he were to do so, he would become the fastest player in NFL history to reach the mark.
That record currently belongs to Odell Beckham Jr., who did so in just 54 games with the New York Giants (per Stathead). Remarkably, this means Jefferson actually has some extra cushion in order to set a new record. As long as he records 25 more receiving yards by the end of Minnesota’s Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Chargers, the new benchmark will be his.
That being said, hopefully we won’t need to drag this record into next weekend. The Vikings will need Jefferson at his best in order to upset the Eagles, who are currently favored by a touchdown over Minnesota.
Last year against this Philadelphia squad, Jefferson was held to a relatively modest 6 receptions and 48 receiving yards despite being targeted 12 times. The Eagles cruised to a 24-7 victory in that game.
The Vikings need a very different result on Thursday night if they are going to avoid an 0-2 hole to begin the season. Last season, five teams started 0-2, but the only group to rally and make the playoffs was the Cincinnati Bengals. Since the merger in 1970, there have been 405 teams to start 0-2.
Just 39 of them (9.6%) have made the playoffs. The only three teams to win the Super Bowl after such a start are the 1993 Dallas Cowboys, 2001 New England Patriots, and 2007 New York Giants.
Hopefully, the Vikings get a big game from Jefferson to create a new NFL record, and more importantly, a win to avoid an 0-2 record that would worsen their fate for the 2023 season. Kickoff between the Vikings and Eagles is set for 7:15 PM tonight at Lincoln Financial Field.
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.