Justin Jefferson News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/justin-jefferson/ Minnesota sports, but different Mon, 24 Nov 2025 02:53:47 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=32,height=32,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cropped-cropped-MSF-favicon-1.jpg Justin Jefferson News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/justin-jefferson/ 32 32 Vikings Superstar Fed Up, Says Quiet Part Out Loud https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/justin-jefferson-is-growing-tired-jj-mccarthy/ Mon, 24 Nov 2025 01:23:53 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=72889 The Minnesota Vikings flopped yet again on Sunday. More accurately, J.J. McCarthy flopped. After making the choice to go with the young signal caller this offseason, the roster was positioned to win now. Instead, at 4-7, and last place in the NFC North, we are officially in the midst of a lost season.

It has to be frustrating for the veterans that were brought in to compete. Of course, it doesn’t help that their expensive offensive line was together for the first time all year, in Week 12. On the defensive side, the interior has not been the upgrade it was imagined to be and the secondary lacks depth.

All of these realities are happening at once, but it constantly comes back to the quarterback. McCarthy has been awful, and it’s clear Justin Jefferson is sick of it, no matter how much he sugar-coats his speak with leadership jargon.

Justin Jefferson is sick of the MN Vikings patience

Justin Jefferson has looked dejected and disinterested at times this season, mostly due to his quarterback constantly failing him.

Jettas was patient while waiting for his new deal and he’s stayed quiet while the Vikings put a carousel of quarterbacks around him for the past few years. But even a wide receiver as patient as Justin Jeffersoncan only wait so long.

Sooner or later, McCarthy’s ineffectiveness will start eating away at what were once historic numbers, to start Jefferson’s career. And now seven games into the JJ McCarthy experience, the superstar receiver seems like he is reaching that breaking point.

Related: Vikings Leave Green Bay Down Two More Linemen

Justin Jefferson entered the season as the league’s best wide receiver. His 96.5 yards per game are still an all-time record. And not only does he shows out on the field week in and week out, but he takes the “C” he wears on his chest very seriously too.

Even Jefferson has his breaking point

On Sunday, JJ McCarthy finished the Packers game with a pitiful 87 yards passing on 19 attempts. In the second half, he had negative-1 passing yards, and a pair of interceptions. To say that the quarterback looks inept would be putting it FAR TOO lightly.

Maybe Jefferson could take some solace in being the highest-targeted pass catcher on Sunday. Then again, that was just six targets, which he turned into four receptions for 48 yards.

After being wildly inaccurate against the Chicago Bears, a week of practice did nothing to move the Michigan product forward. In fact, he was even worse Sunday in Lambeau.

On one hand, the Vikings should use their final six games to assess if they made one of the worst first round quarterback selections in history. On the other hand, Max Brosmer is sitting right there and there’s absolutely no way he doesn’t deserve some evaluation at this point either.

Carson Wentz was hardly a world-beater, but he knew how to get Jefferson the football. Brosmer doing that would be a step up from McCarthy anyways.

]]> Sun, 23 Nov 2025 20:53:47 +0000 Minnesota Vikings MN Vikings Superstar Calls on Year 3 Jets to Return https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/justin-jefferson-instagram-post-year3-jets/ Thu, 13 Nov 2025 19:52:27 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=71802 When you start your season as slowly as the 2025 Minnesota Vikings have, every game feels of the utmost importance. But there’s no doubt this weekend’s contest against the Chicago Bears is even bigger than those that came before it.

Sunday is essentially win or get ready to stay home in January, for KOC & Co. And that is where superstar receiver Justin Jefferson comes into play.

The 2020 first round pick has done nothing but exceed expectations since that day in April when he somehow fell all the way to a giddy Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman (back when they got along).

Justin Jefferson - Minnesota Vikings
Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

But last Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, Jefferson was a shell of the highlight reel magnet we’ve seen in just about every game the Minnesota Vikings have played since Jettas first put on the Vikings horns and purple No. 18.

It was so bad that head coach Kevin O’Connell had to answer questions about his buy-in this week. We will get to those lowlights against Baltimore momentarily.

Justin Jefferson riding the struggle bus of late?

But Justin’s performance last week has already been thoroughly parsed through by every corner of the internet. And it’s important to know that Jettas’ problems run deeper than week 10.

For starters, with JJ McCarthy under center, Jefferson has yet to eclipse more than 81 yards or six receptions in a game, even though the 22-year-old has targeted the superstar 35 total times through those four games.

Justin — who has reeled in 51 receptions for 686 yards and 2 touchdowns — is easily on pace to eclipse 1,000 yards yet again this season. But no matter who his QB has been, the production has been inconsistent and underwhelming. Getting in the endzone is still a problem, as it has been his entire career.

Justin’s gone over 100 receiving yards just twice in nine games this season, and has yet to hit the century mark on U.S. soil. Both of Jefferson’s 100-yard games came in Europe. He caught 10 of 11 targets from Carson Wentz in Dublin against the Steelers for 126 yards (0 TD).

One week later (October 5) in London, he hit the century-mark against the Cleveland Browns, catching 7 of 11 targets for 123 yards (0 TD). So while Justin Jefferson has still been good this season, the Minnesota Vikings are paying him to be great, especially as they train in their kid QB.

Minnesota Vikings superstar calls for 2022 self to return

Well as it turns out, Justin Jefferson could not agree more. On his Instagram Thursday, Jettas posted a photo on of his game-saving catch against the Buffalo Bills, which is celebrating its third birthday today.

It’s widely regarded as one of the greatest catches in NFL history. But it was what Jefferson typed within his screenshot of the catch that’s worth mentioning. There, the 26-year-old receiver typed: “I need to get back to year3 Jets”.

Related: Lengthy MN Vikings Injury Report Provides Some Good News

Once again, this shows the incredibly high maturity levels of Justin Jefferson. Other wide receivers around the league (AJ Brown) are making news as unhappy playmakers on winning teams.

Not Jefferson, who has all the reason in the world to point fingers and place blame on those around him. Instead, he is pointing it at himself. And without a doubt, he deserves plenty.

Justin Jefferson hit lowpoint vs Ravens and he knows it

Against the Baltimore Ravens, Justin Jefferson got 12 target, but hauled in just four receptions for 39 yards. Most of those misses were on arm of JJ McCarthy, but there were throws where the redshirt rookie quarterback put his superstar receiver in a position to make a superstar play… and Jefferson failed to answer the call.

Both of McCarthy’s interceptions against the Ravens were targeting Jefferson. One of them was a 1v1 deep ball that Justin tripped on, which resulted in an easy Ravens pick.

Then, there’s the rocket touchdown pass that went through Justin Jefferson’s hands late. This was a tough play, no doubt, but one we expect No. 18 to make, given some of the catches we’ve seen from him over the course of his NFL career, and all the way back to his time at LSU.

Related: JJ McCarthy Shows Up to Vikings Practice with New Ailment

With JJ McCarthy learning how to play quarterback on the NFL job, Jefferson understands his responsibility to fill that gap, while his QB learns the ropes. So far, he has not done that. On Sunday against the Bears, however, I would start JJ McCarthy on your fantasy teams.

MN Vikings need this win vs Bears

There’s no sugarcoating the importance of week 11 for the Minnesota Vikings. If they can get the job done at home Sunday afternoon against the Chicago Bears, not only would they sweep the division rival Chicago Bears, but they’d stave off the virtual deathnel on their 2025 season.

The MN Vikings might see themselves as a playoff-caliber team, but you aren’t getting into the NFC Playoffs as a Wildcard with eight losses. Hell, even going 10-7 won’t guarantee a postseason berth this year.

As of today, the Bears (6-3), Packers (5-3) and Rams (7-2) occupy the three Wildcard slots in the National Football Conference. Behind them are the 49ers (6-4) and Panthers (5-5).

In other words, a loss vs the Bears would result in Minnesota’s playoff hopes being reliant on an eight-game win streak to close the regular season 11-6. At the very least, the Vikings would have to go 7-1, and then need some additional help from the teams listed above, to make it in as a 10-7 team.

On the other side of the coin, a win would put the Minnesota Vikings back at .500 and make them 3-0 on the season against fellow NFC North opponents.

]]> Thu, 13 Nov 2025 13:52:56 +0000 Minnesota Vikings Vikings Coach Comments on Justin Jefferson’s Lackluster Game https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/justin-jefferson-attitude-ravens-defended-kevin-oconnell/ Tue, 11 Nov 2025 00:41:46 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=71583 There was a moment in time Sunday, after the Minnesota Vikings took a 10-3 lead early in the second quarter against the Baltimore Ravens, where life was pretty good. Unfortunately, it didn’t last long, as the Vikings were outscored to the tune of a 24-9 for the rest of the contest.

There were a lot of things that went wrong on Sunday and everyone deserves blame, including Justin Jefferson who was not his usual self in week 10, as frustrations with their slow start continue to build up internally.

We got the full young quarterback experience this weekend, with J.J. McCarthy, who completed just 20-of-42 passes, to go with 2 interceptions and 0 touchdowns. Both picks were thrown to Jefferson, who the redshirt rookie QB targeted 12 times, completing just four (37 yards).

Today, O’Connell was asked by Kevin Seifert (ESPN) was concerned at all with the way Justin Jefferson reacted to either interception against the Ravens, or over his star receiver’s frustration level in general.

Justin Jefferson’s attitude didn’t bother Kevin O’Connell

KOC took that opportunity to make it very clear that he and the Vikings’ higher ups never have to worry about Jefferson on or off the field, instead pointing the finger at himself for not keeping the wideout “fresher on game day.”

There were multiple throws from McCarthy that didn’t put Jefferson in a position to succeed, and his superstar receiver wasn’t afraid to let him know it, though he was quick to praise JJ and temper any sort of concerns regarding their relationship.

There was always going to be a learning process for McCarthy in the NFL. For whatever reason, neither O’Connell or Jefferson seem immediately capable of understanding that.

Related: Thielen’s Temper Tantrum May Have Been Warranted…

Let’s not forget that this kid played only one series during the preseason and none of those plays had No. 18 lined up out wide. We need to stop pretending that joint practices and mental reps are enough to prepare a 2nd year quarterback who missed his entire first season due to injury.

If the Vikings are going to make use of this expensive roster intended to win now, then McCarthy has to take substantial steps forward quickly. If that is going to happen, then the head coach needs to put him in positions succeed, and his superstar needs to show more patience.

]]> Mon, 10 Nov 2025 21:03:18 +0000 Minnesota Vikings Vikings’ Latest Full System Failure vs Ravens https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/ugly-loss-week-10-baltimore-ravens-mccarthy-occonnell-jefferson-failure/ Sun, 09 Nov 2025 22:07:15 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=71478 A week after the Minnesota Vikings knocked off the Detroit Lions in upset fashion, there was hope that they could slither their way back into the playoff picture. As slight home underdogs against the Baltimore Ravens they were going to have their hands full.

Thankfully the injury report continued to trend positively for Minnesota and they have virtually all of their key cogs locked and loaded. When the final seconds ticked off the clock though, it didn’t matter and the mess was on everyone’s hands.

McCarthy and O’Connell fail each other

The phrase “slow car accident” sufficiently described what took place at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday. Although it was just a 27-19 loss for the Minnesota Vikings, the game was effectively over after Minnesota failed to add onto a 10-3 lead.

J.J. McCarthy dropped back 43 times and had multiple arm punts resulting in a pair of picks. He sailed wide receivers, and despite the running game clicking, Kevin O’Connell made no adjustments.

For weeks this season O’Connell has shown an inability to handle play calling responsibilities. Time management has always been an issue, and changing the plan of attack as the game evolves around you hasn’t been a strength. That was on full display Sunday, and McCarthy made matters worse.

I don’t know if the head coach needs to give up play calling duties, but if he wants McCarthy to develop as an NFL quarterback, this isn’t the way to get it done.

Aaron Jones turned his nine carries into 47 yards (5.2 yards per carry) and Jordan Mason had four rushes for 25 yards (6.3 yards per carry). Giving them just a combined 13 totes makes no sense, and puts all of the pressure on an untested quarterback that has shown struggles.

MN Vikings inflict death by paper cuts

It’s hard to win in the NFL, and getting the job done on any given Sunday is largely why style points don’t matter. It’s also hard to win when you struggle to get out of your own way.

Minnesota had 13 penalties for 102 yards. Of them, eight were false starts for 40 yards. Myles Price also fumbled two consecutive kick returns, and was only bailed out by the second one not being a turnover.

This was a home game for Minnesota mind you. Noise, or the lack thereof while watching the performance later in the game, should not be an issue at U.S. Bank Stadium for the Vikings offense. The level of complete ineptitude from a discipline standpoint on Sunday was jarring.

Whether the Vikings turn things around going forward or not, continued mental mistakes will sink whatever hopes they have.

Superstar level flop from Justin Jefferson

Justin Jefferson is quite arguably the best wide receiver in football. On Sunday you could have made the argument he looked like one of the worst. Jefferson turned his 12 targets into just four receptions, and he often looked disengaged and uninterested.

Both of McCarthy’s arm punts were targets to Jefferson. One was into double coverage, but the wideout did little to come down with the ball. The other he tripped over the defender’s feet and was never in a position to make a catch.

With the Ravens letting Minnesota hang around, there was plenty of opportunity for a star to step up and make a play. Unfortunately Jefferson had little interest in being that answer Sunday and Minnesota came up short in what amounted to a one-score game.

There is opportunity for soul-searching prior to another key divisional matchup. The Chicago Bears come to U.S. Bank Stadium next week, and they present an opportunity for the Vikings to get the season sweep. Now 1-3 at home, they need to start showing up in front of the people that care the most.

]]> Mon, 10 Nov 2025 18:27:55 +0000 Minnesota Vikings MN Vikings Injury Update After Lions Win https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/injury-update-mn-vikings-post-lions-win-jones-jefferson-oneill/ Mon, 03 Nov 2025 17:17:47 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=70879 The Minnesota Vikings went into Detroit on Sunday and earned a 27-24 victory over the reigning NFC North Champion Lions that, really, nobody saw coming.

In week 9, redshirt rookie JJ McCarthy reminded fans and media members why he was drafted No. 10 overall in 2024, following five-straight games on the sideline recovering from a high ankle sprain, which came after two underwhelming performances to start his NFL career.

Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions
Credit: Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On top off that, the Vikings defense played far and away the best game of its 2025 season, pressuring Jared Goff nonstop with blitzers up the middle that the veteran quarterback and Lions coaching staff failed to make proper adjustments for throughout the afternoon.

But really, Sunday’s victory was a product of improving health on both sides of the football in Minnesota. Andrew Van Ginkel wreaked havoc on defense for just the third time this year. Meanwhile, Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill bookended the offensive line during the entire contest for just the second time together all season.

Aaron Jones optimistic about his chances to play vs Ravens

Of course, there were some injury scares during the game. That’s football, especially for the 2025 MN Vikings. Aaron Jones exited early with what he disclosed, after the win, as a sprained AC Joint.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell was careful to disclose any details on whether Jones will play next week against the Ravens, but the second-year Vikings running back was extremely confident in the locker room that he’ll be available, noting that he’s suffered and played through this exact injury before.

“I feel alright. It’s just take a day or two to recover. I’ll be back out there. I have played through an AC [joint injury] before. [Not coming back in vs the Lions] was more precautionary, just because we weren’t able to get up here an get an X-ray and see how bad it was. But I’m good, I’ll be good. I’ll be back out there [vs the Ravens].”

Aaron Jones on AC Joint injury after win vs Lions

Other Minnesota Vikings injury updates

Outside of Aaron Jones’ injury on Sunday in Detroit, the Minnesota Vikings seemingly got out of Detroit injury free. Justin Jefferson went down during the game, but returned after being treated for cramping. All three of Andrew Van Ginkel, Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill played the entire game.

Not only that, but in the locker room after the game, the veteran right tackle told reporters that, while he did not want to speak for Christian, he feels like both Vikings tackles are “both trending in the right direction” and “close to 100%.”

“I think both me and [Christian Darrisaw] are trending in the right direction in terms of getting close to 100 percent. I can’t speak for him fully, but just being around him the whole week, I think we’re both trending in the right direction.”

Brian O’Neill after Lions win (via the Star Tribune)

Related: JJ McCarthy Rides Emotional Roller Coaster After Impossible Vikings Win

That is great news, especially being that Darrisaw has taken himself out of multiple games this season, because he wasn’t feeling close to 100%. We found out on Sunday just how important it is for the MN Vikings to have their most talented linemen (and linebackers on defense) available.

Unexpectedly, Minnesota was better in the trenches than Detroit yesterday. That does not happen if Darrisaw, O’Neill, Van Ginkel and Cashman aren’t all available for the important interdivisional matchup.

The key to a successful second half for the Vikings, beyond the development of JJ McCarthy, is health. And going into week 10, it appears they are on the come-up in that department.

]]> Mon, 03 Nov 2025 11:17:52 +0000 Minnesota Vikings MN Vikings Superstar Pulls Crazy Prank on GM https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/justin-jefferson-undercover-kewsi-adofo-mensah-prank/ Thu, 16 Oct 2025 17:47:31 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=69758 Justin Jefferson is among the most popular players in all of sports, let alone the NFL. Anywhere you see the NFL marketing its product, you’ll probably see the Minnesota Vikings superstar.

That’s why it was no surprise when the ever-expanding Manning productions, alongside Amazon Prime, tagged Jefferson to star in an early episode of their new streaming series called, “The Undercovers”. Manning produced a show for the streaming service called The Undercovers and Justin Jefferson is the star.

Justin Jefferson gets Kwesi in photography ruse

In this episode, Justin Jefferson dresses up as a nature photographer named Darius Frost, who infiltrates TCO Performance Center to mess with teammates, coaches and executives, including general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who thought he was walking in to get his yearly team headshot done.

Midway through the session, the interactions between “Darius” and Kwesi start to get weird, with the fake photographer making comments like “shorts with a blazer is crazy” and asking questions like “what does GM stand for?”

Still, Adofo-Mensah had no idea he was being had, even when Justin tried to give it away by revealing the HORRIBLE photos he snapped during their shoot. Still, nothing, Finally, one last handshake from Darius Frost though, and Adofo-Mensah loses it.

Minnesota Vikings bamboozled by “Darius Frost”

An absolute level of hilarity ensues and Adofo-Mensah simply says, “I got got.” It wasn’t just Kwesi though. The full episode shows Jefferson showing up to a flag football game and keeping his disguise intact, while his teammates were also quizzed on a picture of Darius Frost and couldn’t come up with which locker room mate it was.

There will be no disguise that hides Jefferson from the Philadelphia Eagles defense on Sunday. However, the addition of Jordan Addison back in the lineup has helped to take away some of the focus.

Minnesota will look for their fourth win of the season, and Jefferson will continue his pursuit of another strong year. Through five games he has 449 yards and one touchdown on 29 receptions.

]]> Fri, 17 Oct 2025 16:47:32 +0000 Minnesota Vikings Three Keys for Minnesota Vikings Against Atlanta on Sunday Night https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/three-keys-to-victory-week-2-atlanta-falcons/ Sat, 13 Sep 2025 22:00:00 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=68345 The Minnesota Vikings are coming off a season-opening win against the Chicago Bears. It provided some big moments from J.J. McCarthy and head coach Kevin O’Connell. It also brought a rash of injuries that will prove meddlesome in Week 2.

Although Kirk Cousins will be holding the clipboard, his Atlanta Falcons come to town for a Sunday Night Football matchup in Week 2. Michael Penix Jr. gets another crack at besting McCarthy after losing to him in the National Championship the last time they squared off.

If Minnesota is going to emerge victorious, there are a few areas they must focus in on. Here are three keys for Sunday Night.

Who steps up in absence of MN Vikings starters?

Last week the Minnesota Vikings were without Harrison Smith and Christian Darrisaw. The former was expected, while the latter was something of a surprise. Darrisaw already being ruled out for Week 2 is relatively problematic.

Justin Skule stepped in at starting left tackle for Darrisaw. Only Adam Thielen produced a worse offensive grade per Pro Football Focus. Skule was 44th out of 64 tackles and gave up two sacks. He simply has to be better, and will be in there starting again.

Smith being available would help the defense. Andrew Van Ginkel and Jeff Okudah are both out with concussions. That puts a serious amount of pressure on second-year edge rusher Dallas Turner to shine. Blake Cashman also hit injured reserve earlier this week and Eric Wilson will take over his role. Linebacker Gabriel Murphy will get a shot as well.

There is an opportunity at cornerback, and in the front seven. Can Dwight McGlothern, or an elevated Fabian Moreau, be enough on the outside. Is this the game Turner shows off just how good he can be? Brian Flores needs the help, and multiple players have to provide it.

Containing Penix Jr. a point of emphasis

In Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was 27-of-42 for 298 yards and a touchdown. He also ran the ball six times for 21 yards and a touchdown. That offensive production took place without second wide receiving option Darnell Mooney.

This week Mooney will rejoin Drake London and give the Vikings two wideouts to cover. Running back Bijan Robinson led the receiving game with six receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown as well. Penix Jr. has plenty of weapons to challenge Minnesota’s defense, and he’s shifty as well.

Minnesota got beat by Caleb Williams for 58 yards on six carries. Penix Jr. is probably even a more adept runner, and they can’t allow his ability to create an opportunity to open up the offense. Containing Penix Jr. in the pocket will give the secondary a better chance to hold on despite being down some talent.

Last season Penix Jr. made just a single road start in his five games. U.S. Bank Stadium will be the most hostile environment he has experienced, and the home field advantage can play into the hands of the Minnesota Vikings as well.

Will the wide receivers please step up

It was expected there would be some growing pains in the passing game. McCarthy had never previously started and NFL game, and the Vikings opted against a real dress rehearsal in the preseason. Both Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen registered drops while Aaron Jones tied for the team lead in receiving yards with 44.

Last season the Falcons were middle-of-the-pack when it comes to receiving yards allowed. There’s an opportunity for Jefferson to make his first mark of the season, and Thielen can help to substantiate why he was brought back to Minnesota.

If McCarthy is going to thrive going forward, it will be because the sum of all parts around him work at a high clip. In Week 1 Jordan Mason and Jones created a nice two-headed monster on the ground. McCarthy threw for just 143 yards, and there weren’t a ton of explosive plays through the air. If Kevin O’Connell can find opportunities for shot plays, the wide receivers need to come through.

Related: Kevin O’Connell Wasted No Time Delivering Legendary Message

Should McCarthy have his first 200-yard passing game of his career on Sunday, it would seem likely that the Minnesota Vikings are in a good position to best the Atlanta Falcons.

Kickoff is set for 7:20 pm for Sunday Night Football. The return of Thielen to U.S. Bank Stadium, and the introduction of McCarthy to home fans, should be a sight to behold.

]]> Sat, 13 Sep 2025 17:07:43 +0000 Minnesota Vikings Kevin O’Connell Says Jettas Isn’t the Diva He Sees Elsewhere https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/kevin-oconnell-praises-justin-jefferson-anti-diva-poise/ Thu, 11 Sep 2025 14:30:25 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=68262 The Minnesota Vikings were always going to experience growing pains this season. That’s the inherent nature of breaking in a new quarterback. Add in the fact that the quarterback is literally 22 years old, and the youngest starter in the NFL, and you’ve got a perfect storm.

Those growing pains can manifest themselves in different ways. The most straightforward way to counteract problems though, is through leadership. Kevin O’Connell is among the best leaders across the entire league. J.J. McCarthy stepped up and showed leadership at the first opportunity.

They aren’t the only ones in Minnesota though. As good as Justin Jefferson is at catching footballs, he also makes his presence felt in the right ways.

Justin Jefferson shows poise for Minnesota Vikings

Quarterbacks and head coaches are often those seen as the vocal point on the field. It’s wide receivers that are often categorized as divas and the problem child. We should know that this isn’t Justin Jefferson based on how he handled his contract situation. Kevin O’Connell highlighted it again on Wednesday though.

“It’s not just (J.J. McCarthy) it’s our whole team (managing their emotions). One of the people I was most proud of was Justin. This is a guy who expects to go out there and make a play every single play.”

Kevin O’Connell – Vikings

As The Athletic’s Alec Lewis so perfectly described, “Jefferson didn’t do what some top-tier receivers would. There were no coolers flipped, no tablets thrown. Jefferson was not barking at McCarthy or the coaching staff or anyone. He managed whatever flames might have been blazing within, and the impact of his tranquility was unquestionable.”

Justin Jefferson is not new to this league, and he certainly has his own aspirations. This is a guy who has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first five seasons, and flirted with 2,000 once. He wants the ball, needs the ball, and expects the ball.

Jefferson was targeted seven times on the night and hauled in four of them. Two of the passes were dropped and at the fault of the wideout. In all though, we tallied just 44 yards and saw the offense struggle for the better part of three quarters.

You don’t have to look far to find diva wideouts throwing tantrums on the sidelines in Week 1. At no point, even with Minnesota trailing 17-6 and a pick-six behind them, did Jefferson act in that manner. It’s because of that reality that both the wide receiver and new quarterback can thrive.

McCarthy isn’t going to be perfect any time soon, and it will be years before he’s anywhere close to a finished product. He turned in an award-winning performance because of his leadership and resolve though. It was also a testament to the buy-in and belief he has from those around him.

Related: JJ McCarthy Rewarded for Incredible Week One Performance

Minnesota gets the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football in Week 2. It’s a rematch of the 2024 National Championship. McCarthy beat Michael Penix Jr. that night, and with Jefferson’s help, will look to do it again this time around.

]]> Thu, 11 Sep 2025 09:30:28 +0000 Minnesota Vikings Vikings Legend Nails McCarthy’s First TD https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/randy-moss-predicts-jj-mccarthy-justin-jefferson-touchdown-espn-manningcast/ Tue, 09 Sep 2025 03:43:59 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=68152 Monday Night Football was the beginning of what hopefully is a wildly successful career for new Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy. It was definitely a slow burn as he struggled to get things going in the first half.

Kevin O’Connell felt he had his new starter prepared for action. McCarthy himself gets dialed in on a weekly basis. That didn’t stop the Michigan product from needing more than three quarters to find the end zone.

Once he did though, oh boy did it come in a big way. Hall of Famer Randy Moss spoke it into existence too.

Randy Moss calls JJ to J.J. for Minnesota Vikings touchdown

Things did not go well for the Minnesota Vikings in the first half. They trailed 10-6 and looked worse than the field itself. Chicago added seven points in the third quarter and things looked dire. Then he hooked up for his first career touchdown and Randy Moss spoke it into existence.

“Well, I’m going with Justin Jefferson. You’re down 11, with 12 minutes to go. It’s time to get the playmakers the ball. Down here in the red zone, there he is, don’t show anymore on the screen. Let’s get “18” the ball this drive right here. Definitely.”

Randy Moss- ESPN

Talking to Peyton and Eli Manning on ESPN’s Manningcast, Moss made his prediction. They wanted his assessment for the Prediction Panel, and it was Moss’ image that got slapped on the Perfect Prediction Panel.

It wasn’t the easiest night for Jefferson. He has a couple of key drops, and the connection was not immediately smooth with his new starting quarterback. He finished hauling in four-of-seven targets for 44 yards and a touchdown.

Related: Vikings Defense Extra Confident Entering Matchup vs Caleb Williams, Bears Offense

The 44 yards were tied for a team-high with running back Aaron Jones. McCarthy went 13-of-20 with 143 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He worked all the way back from an early pick-six and lead Minnesota to a victory.

Minnesota has plenty to work on, and there’s now injury concerns for Blake Cashman (who left the game and did not return), but the return home with a Week 1 win. The Vikings will play in primetime again in Week 2 as they square off against the Atlanta Falcons for Sunday Night Football.

]]> Mon, 08 Sep 2025 22:44:03 +0000 Minnesota Vikings O’Connell Gives Major Update on Key Vikings Starters https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/kevin-oconnell-week-1-injury-updates-smith-van-ginkel-darrisaw-jefferson/ Wed, 03 Sep 2025 19:48:52 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=67877 We are quickly closing in on the Minnesota Vikings Week 1 matchup against the Chicago Bears, where the eyes of the nation will be on redshirt rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy, as he get set to make his NFL debut under the bright lights of Monday Night Football.

The Vikings are coming off a 14-win season, with a rehabilitated Sam Darnold under center, who they let leave this offseason. Kevin O’Connell’s decision to ride McCarthy blind into 2025 has turned Monday’s opener into arguably the most intriguing in recent franchise history.

During the last month of training camp, however, it hasn’t been McCarthy’s repaired meniscus drawing questions, Instead, injury uncertainties and depth issues have risen across the roster, around the young franchise QB.

It got so bad at WR — after Jordan Addison was suspended for the first three games of the season and Jalen Nailor hurt his wrist at joint practices a few weeks ago — that the Vikings sent the equivelent of a 4th round pick out to Carolina, in order to bring Adam Thielen home.

On defense, Minnesota has practiced without two of crucial pieces of Brian Flores’ 2025 defense. Andrew Van Ginkel has been dealing with an injury and hasn’t been suited up at TCO Performance Center since August 7. Meanwhile, Harrison Smith has been absent nearly as long, due to a mysterious illness we know few details about.

Kevin O’Connell gives Minnesota Vikings week one injury update

Now less than a week away from Monday night’s opener, the Minnesota Vikings finally have some good news on the injury front. On Wednesday afternoon, O’Connell met with media for the first time this week, where he revealed the latest update on both Van Ginkel and Smith. In short, both guys are ready to go.

Andrew Van Ginkel signed a contract extension this offseason, and is looking to build on a career-best 11.5 sacks in 2024. Harrison Smith, after taking about a month to ponder retirement, is back for the 15th season of his NFL career, in hopes of advancing to the Super Bowl for the first time.

This is big news for the Minnesota Vikings’ defense, which despite the aging nature of both players, absolutely need them on the field. Without a doubt, this is the best front seven Brian Flores has had to work with, since taking over as defensive coordinator two years ago.

The same cannot be said for his 2025 secondary, which is by far the most unproven piece of Minnesota’s new-look defense. Thus, it is very important that the 36-year-old 6x Pro Bowler is available and feeling at or near 100%. Flores and his defensive teammates will rely on him heavily, both pre and post snap vs the Bears.

It’s not just the defense where head coach Kevin O’Connell feels confident going into the final preparations for the Chicago Bears. Justin Jefferson missed substantial time during training camp with a hamstring injury, and Christian Darrisaw underwent surgery for his knee injury last year. He is excited about where both are at.

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While Jefferson has missed substantial time at training camp this summer, the assumption has always been a return for Monday, September 8. Of course, hamstring injuries are notoriously tricky, which is why Justin and the Vikings plan to rehab and pay extra close attention to that hammy throughout the season.

Justin Jefferson is coming off a full 2024 season. Still, memories from 2023 — when he was limited to just 10 games due to a different hamstring injury — remain fresh in his mind. The Vikings need Jettas on the field, as does his redshirt rookie QB.

But let’s not forget the individual accolades Jefferson has been eyeing since game one of his first year in the league. You can’t chase down the records of Randy Moss and Jerry Rice, if you can’t stay on the field.

It also appears LT Christian Darrisaw is trending the right way, too. But O’Connell made it clear that the Minnesota Vikings will be smart with the 26-year-old left-side bookend. The Super Bowl isn’t won in Week 1, but the wrong week one injury could lose it for you.

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