By: Lindsey Young
The Vikings needed a spark.
More than halfway through the second quarter against the Cardinals in Week 13, Minnesota had struggled to find its groove offensively and had just watched Arizona regain a 3-point lead with another field goal.
But Sam Darnold found Justin Jefferson on the first play of the ensuing series, connecting with the receiver for a 9-yard gain.
Just four plays later, Darnold hit Jefferson again – this time for a 23-yard play that pushed the Vikings into Cardinals territory, extending a drive that would end with Minnesota kicking a field goal of its own to even the score at 6.
The shift in energy didn't happen immediately, but the Vikings went on to win their 10th game of the season thanks in part to Jefferson's performance that included logging 67 of his 99 receiving yards in the second half.
"The fans were a little bit down and not really having much to cheer about," Jefferson said, "so I wanted to spark up the crowd, spark up the energy around the team."
Shattering records
In many ways, the Winter Warrior uniform Jefferson will don for Monday's prime-time matchup is fitting.
From the sparkling diamonds fixed in Jefferson's pearly whites to those in custom chains draped around the receiver's neck, to his white-framed Oakley shades and generally cool and collected demeanor, "Jets" is always frosty fresh.
But he's fueled by a competitive fire.
Jefferson can't honestly recall a time when he wasn't competing in some form or fashion.
At barely 4 years old, he yearned to be like older brothers Jordan and Rickey, to play with them on the football field or basketball court.
"I wanted to be just like them," Jefferson noted. "That competitive spirit, that energy, it showed up real early for me."
You know the story:
That fire powered Jefferson through youth and high school football in Louisiana, then through a standout career in his home state at LSU, where as a junior he scored four touchdowns against the Sooners in the Peach Bowl.
The Vikings nabbed Jefferson 22nd overall in 2020, and the phenom has been shattering records ever since.
During his Week 13 performance, he became just the fourth player in NFL history with more than 1,000 receiving yards in each of their first five seasons. Only Mike Evans, A.J. Green and Hall of Famer Randy Moss have also accomplished the feat.
"It's unreal. It's honestly crazy," Jefferson said of joining elite company. "You know, just being fans of all three of those guys growing up, watching their film … watching them every Sunday. Seeing them performing, putting up those thousand-yard seasons, and to be following in their footsteps and carrying on that same consistency throughout the league, that's definitely a goal I try to achieve every single year."
Just a week after hitting that benchmark, Jefferson set another. He recorded seven catches for 132 yards last week against the Falcons, becoming the first player under the age of 26 to reach 7,000 career yards.
"It's wild, man," Jefferson said. "To be able to play this position at the very highest level and to do what I'm doing is a blessing.
"But there's always room for improvement for me. You know, there's always things I need to work on, things I need to fix and things to better myself when I'm out there on the field," he added in Jefferson fashion. "So 7,000 is definitely great. But you know, there's way more things I want to accomplish than just getting those yards."
All competitor, all the time
Defensive coordinators and defenders have done their best to put Jefferson on ice, funneling overwhelming resources toward No. 18 and allowing his teammates to make plays.
But even then, he'll eventually show up in a big way to remind everyone he's the league's best.
Take the game against Arizona, when he ran a corner route late in the third quarter and came back to meet the ball in double coverage between Budda Baker and Sean Murphy-Bunting, moving the sticks 15 yards.
"This is clinic tape," FOX analyst and former tight end Greg Olsen said of the play. "It's a corner, stop, he's just gonna sit in that hole – and if he doesn't come back to the ball, this ball's knocked down."
Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy, Jr., certainly appreciated the play but wasn't surprised by it.
Just typical Jets.
"He kinda has to do that when he's always got two, three people on him," Murphy said. "But that's one thing he does the best, though, coming back to the ball. That's just another one of his traits that a lot of other receivers don't do – dig routes, comeback routes – he's actually coming back and cutting off the DB angles."
Whether fighting for a win on game day or for bragging rights after practice, Jefferson never takes a break from competing.
Jordan Addison noticed it immediately during his rookie season, observing that whether in a full-speed rep or simply a walk-through, Jefferson pushed to win his 1-on-1 battle.
"He's the same, every single day. He's always practicing hard," Addison said. "His work ethic, his competitiveness, that's what stands out."
Murphy had a similar first impression upon joining the Vikings as a free agent in 2023.
He recounted lining up against Jefferson for a 1-on-1 drill, feeling confident about his coverage and still seeing Jefferson snag the pigskin.
"He just made this crazy catch," said Murphy, shaking his head at the memory. "He, once again, came back to the ball and made the catch, and that just showed me – he's out at practice working. Obviously, that's why he's one of the best."
But it isn't just football, either. Give Jefferson the opportunity to win at something, anything, and he won't let up.
Murphy pointed to a "locker room game" in which one player will initiate directional movement and the other player has to react quickly by moving the opposite direction. If one goes up, the other has to go down; if one goes right, the other left.
"He takes it [so seriously]. He has to win every single game," Murphy laughed. "And if he don't? He's gonna find you again later in the day and make you play again.
"During meetings, whatever," he added. "He'll come get you to play. 'Cause he's just gotta win."
Jefferson's "just gotta win" mindset extends beyond him to his teammates, as well.
The Vikings have worked to build a locker room full of players who love football and share a desire to play for one another. And when you've got a guy like Jefferson whose competitive flame truly never dims, it helps keep the entire team burning strong.
"When we go in the meeting room to watch film and stuff," Addison said, "everybody's watching the reps, and he's coaching everybody up, no matter who it is. Whether they're in the starting lineup or playing the scout team roles."
Addison added with a smile, "And if you run a route and he's there? He's gonna tell you how you can run it better."
It comes naturally for Jefferson, who really doesn't know any other way.
It's all about chasing greatness. For himself, yes. But more importantly, for the Minnesota Vikings. As the team enters Monday night's game 11-2 and continues down the stretch, Jefferson hopes to light it up each game day; but if opponents sell out to cover him, he'll celebrate his teammates shining and still find ways to light that spark when needed.
When the Vikings visited the Bears in Week 12, Chicago's approach did limit Jefferson to one catch for 7 yards in regulation, but the Vikings found him during the game-winning drive for a clutch gain of 20 to convert a first-and-15.
Darnold also connected with Addison eight times for the second-year receiver's career high of 162 yards and completed seven passes to T.J. Hockenson for 114.
It was Darnold's first 300-yard passing game as a Viking, and Aaron Jones, Sr., added 106 on the ground.
It was the first time the Vikings had two 100-yard receivers, one 100-yard rusher and a 300-yard passer in one game since November 2000 when Cris Carter and Randy Moss, Robert Smith and Daunte Culpepper accomplished the combo in consecutive games.
"You just gotta look at the big picture," Jefferson said. "You can't get ahead of yourself. Not let the double teams or triple teams affect your play style or how you look at the game.
"It's difficult. It's frustrating, being covered a little extra," he added. "But you look at the big picture: we're winning, we're doing well on offense and defense … and that's all that matters."
