EAGAN, Minn. — Justin Jefferson has made significant strides in the NFL over his first five seasons, breaking multiple records and recently earning unanimous first-team All-Pro honors. However, one achievement eludes him—the chance to win a playoff game with the Minnesota Vikings, which he considers long overdue. A stellar performance in the postseason could be pivotal to making this dream a reality.
Jefferson expressed the importance of seizing these crucial moments after a recent practice. “It’s definitely important to have those moments,” he remarked, emphasizing the significance of playoff games. “It’s win or go home. You have those moments, or you miss those moments and you wish you had those moments after the season. So you definitely don’t want to have those types of conversations.”
Despite his remarkable career, Jefferson has participated in only one playoff game. In 2022, the Vikings finished the regular season with a 13-4 record, winning the NFC North, but their journey ended abruptly in the wild-card round against the New York Giants at home.
The Vikings’ next chance to advance arrives on Monday night in Arizona. They will compete against the NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams as a 14-3 wild card team in a matchup rescheduled due to wildfires affecting Southern California.
As the playoffs approach, the Vikings experienced a precursor to playoff intensity with their final regular-season game against Detroit, which determined the NFC’s No. 1 seed. Despite losing 31-9 to the Lions, this experience is believed to be beneficial for the team. Coach Kevin O’Connell acknowledged the need for introspection following the defeat, stating, “Our entire operation needed to have a reflection and a time period where we acknowledged what happened. We tried to identify the things we absolutely need to fix, and that’s individual players like Sam and many others, and that’s coaches.”
Quarterback Sam Darnold struggled during the game, completing only 18 of his 41 passes, with a mere 3 out of 9 thrown to Jefferson, resulting in one of the lowest catch percentages of Jefferson’s career. Darnold reflected on his performance, saying, “It’s just a matter of me being able to trust the throws, trust my feet, trust my eyes, and just letting it rip.” He acknowledged his recent uncharacteristic inaccuracies, stating, “I think that’s the biggest thing, when I see the throw there, just being able to let it rip and not think twice about it.”
A particularly frustrating moment unfolded in the second quarter when the Vikings had an opportunity to score following an interception by Ivan Pace that placed them at the 3-yard line. However, three consecutive passes to Jefferson fell incomplete, resulting in the Vikings settling for a field goal instead of a touchdown.
Reflecting on the experience, Jefferson remarked, “It happens. Everyone is not perfect. There are going to be some times where we have that adversity. It’s all about just bouncing back.”
As the Vikings prepare for their critical postseason matchup, the focus now turns to overcoming past challenges and seizing the opportunity for playoff success.
