MINNEAPOLIS — Justin Jefferson took a scenic route to the end zone in Minnesota's 23-17 victory.
Now he's hoping for a short trip down the road to recovery after suffering a quadriceps bruise late in the third quarter that sidelined him for the rest of the game.
"I'm feeling good. We played tremendous ball all-in-all," Jefferson said after the game. "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."
Minnesota improved to 2-0 and will host the Houston Texans in Week 3.
This animation by Next Gen Stats shows Jefferson's 97-yard touchdown catch on a pass that Sam Darnold uncorked from one end zone to the midfield Norseman logo:
The Vikings were able to scheme Jefferson into being covered by safety Ji'Ayir Brown at the line of scrimmage with help from safety George Odum over the top. Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell said the play had been "in the hopper" for a while.
The animation shows that Jalen Nailor had a good opportunity for a catch with the route he ran against Charvarius Ward.
According to NGS, Jefferson traveled 127.5 yards by the time he crossed the field and doubled back, and the play increased Minnesota's win probability by 21.3 percentage points.
"It was a great, great ball by Sam to really trust the double team and for me to run right through it," Jefferson said. "As soon as I caught that ball and saw all that open space, I thought, 'I can't get tackled.' "
The animation also shows Minnesota's effectiveness in picking up a blitz with a max-protect scheme and how Nailor hustled to make sure Jefferson's new career long reception would also result in points.
Nailor was near Minnesota's 40-yard line at the time Jefferson made the catch. He changed course almost seamlessly in sync with Jefferson and the two raced to the right pylon.
"I always want to appreciate the extra help. That's my guy. That's my boy," Jefferson said. "If I did need it, I'm glad he was there."
Jefferson did accept a little bit of oxygen after the play.
He added a 15-yard reception during Minnesota's final possession of the first half to set up an important field goal for a 13-7 edge at the break. It was Jefferson's 400th reception, tying him with Vikings Ring of Honor receiver Ahmad Rashad for eighth in team history. The 133 yards in the first half pushed Jefferson past 6,000 in his career, tying him with Hall of Famer Lance Alworth for the fastest to the milestone (62 games).
As for his status for Week 3, Jefferson said, "I'm not overly concerned."
"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."
