What Justin Jefferson Does for the Vikings Offense
The Vikings finally got a deal done with Justin Jefferson, making him the highest paid non-QB in NFL history. I don't know if the amount of money Minnesota gave him is the right amount or a good deal or anything along those lines. What I do know is that if you're going to throw that type of money at a receiver, it better be for someone who can impact games in ways that few others can.
Justin Jefferson is that type of receiver.
What’s more is that Kevin O’Connell (KOC) knows how to deploy him to maximize his effectiveness. The Vikings didn’t just give a bunch of cash to a weapon that they plan to keep on the shelf. Jefferson has been at the center of what Minnesota does on offense since he entered the NFL, and that’s only grown under O’Connell:
He’ll have a profound impact on J.J. McCarthy’s development.
Taking Over a Game
First, let’s take a look at Jefferson’s ability to impact a game, though. There is probably no greater example of this than the Vikings’ overtime win against the Bills during the 2022 season. Jefferson came as close as a player can to single-handedly winning a game for his team.
That afternoon, he caught 10 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown, not to mention this ridiculous one-handed catch on a 4th-and-18 to keep the Vikings alive:
But this play wasn’t the only impressive one from his performance that day. For 4+ quarters, Jefferson showed just how complete he is as a receiver, from his athletic ability to his detailed route-running to his ball-tracking skills (He even threw a key block that sprang Dalvin Cook for an 81-yard touchdown run).
Jefferson’s dominance was especially prevalent in key situations. In fact, on 3rd and 4th down combined, he caught 6 passes on 7 targets for 143 yards, 1 touchdown, and 5 conversions.
It started on Minnesota’s first 3rd down of the game. Buffalo was showing a man-coverage look and Jefferson would be running a deep-in. However, the defender responsible for him, Christian Benford (#47), was in press position and taking away the inside with his alignment. That would make it difficult for Jefferson to get open on an in-breaking route:
Jefferson’s response was not to force it and fight through Benford inside. Instead, he released to the sideline with no hesitation, getting into a full-on sprint immediately to sell the go-route. That forced Benford to turn and run with him, thinking he had to defend the go. But since Benford was sprinting to stay with Jefferson, he was not under control in his ability to react to his route. So when Jefferson broke inside, he was able to create the needed separation:
Three plays later, Jefferson would actually run a go-route. This time, he didn’t sprint off the line and release outside immediately like you saw on the previous play. Instead, he slow-played it at the snap. This was to keep his defender, Dane Jackson (#30), from turning and running with Jefferson right away and squeezing him to the sideline. Jefferson was able to “stack” Jackson because of his release and the use of his arms/hands mid-route:
From the broadcast angle below, you can also notice how late Jefferson’s hands were, meaning he waited until the last possible moment to put his hands up to reel in the pass. This made it difficult for Jackson (whose back was turned to the quarterback) to get a read on when to turn his head around to play the ball or when to play through Jefferson’s hands to break up the pass.
Watch how Jefferson had already caught and secured this pass before Jackson could get his head around or use his hands to impact the play:
That’s one of those subtle aspects of the position that can make a huge difference, especially on a ball like this that was slightly underthrown into tight coverage.
The great route-running and technique didn’t end there.
On this 3rd-and-7 in the second quarter, Jefferson would be running a dig:
Timing is always important, but with this being 3rd down (and the Bills showing a blitz look), it was especially important that Jefferson not allow his man (Jackson again) to disrupt or re-route him.
So with Jackson aligned on his outside shoulder, Jefferson attacked his outside leverage and gave a little jab step to the sideline to widen him. That created room inside, allowed Jefferson to run his route without disruption, and kept the timing of the play in tact. Then he snatched the ball out of the air with his hands: