Justin Jefferson was on the mend last season when Kirk Cousins was leading the Minnesota Vikings to an upset of the San Francisco 49ers.
Jefferson was back on Sunday, though, helping Sam Darnold and the Vikes to another upset of the reigning NFC champions, hauling in a 97-yard touchdown that powered Minnesota to a 23-17 win before exiting with a quad contusion.
“It was a great, great ball by Sam to really trust the double team and for me to run right through it,” Jefferson said, via the Vikings’ team website. “As soon as I caught that ball and saw all that open space, I thought, ‘I can’t get tackled.’ “
He didn’t. Unsurprisingly, it was the longest play of Jefferson and Darnold’s careers. The score, per Next Gen Stats, increased the Vikings’ win probability by 21.3% even though it was only the second quarter. The Vikings did triumph, moving to 2-0 to begin a season for the first time since 2016.
Last time Minnesota and San Francisco clashed, Jefferson was out with a hamstring injury. In this one, he finished with 133 yards on four receptions, but left early due to a quad contusion. Jefferson told reporters after the game, however, that it was nothing too serious.
“Just a little thigh bruise, contusion, whatever you want to call it. Something that happens a lot during football,” Jefferson said. “I’ve just got to get it feeling well and be ready to go next week.”
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell described Jefferson as day to day following the injury.
While gobbling up 97 yards for his score, Jefferson’s showing was also full of statistical milestones for the generational talent. He surpassed 6,000 yards receiving (6,091 now for his career) and hit 400 receptions, while tying Hall of Famer Randy Moss for the most games with 100 or more receiving yards in a player’s first five NFL seasons (30).
Big plays and big days have been a huge part of Jefferson’s meteoric rise.
Now, he’ll just look to enjoy the win and heal up in the next few days.
“I’m feeling good. We played tremendous ball all-in-all,” Jefferson said. “At the end of the day, all that matters is winning, and I’m not seriously injured. That’s the main, important thing, so it’s all about getting to the training room, making sure my body is right for next week.”
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