The Minnesota Vikings took the dramatic step of adding veteran quarterback Kyler Murray in the offseason. Head coach Kevin O’Connell came to the conclusion by the end of last season that J.J. McCarthy was not going to be the team’s quarterback of the future and the Vikings took a chance by signing Murray after his release from the Arizona Cardinals.
If there were any doubts about making the change at quarterback, all O’Connell had to do was take a look at superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson. McCarthy regularly missed opportunities to connect with Jefferson when the receiver was open down the field. Jefferson is not the type to blast any of his teammates, but the look on his face was one of bewilderment. “How could he have missed that throw?” was the message that came across.
Even though numerous big-play opportunities died in frustration, Jefferson still caught 84 passes for 1,048 yards with 2 TDs. He matched his TD total in Minnesota’s opening victory over the Green Bay Packers, but he was on the sidelines for the majority of the Week 3 23-16 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Vikings offense disappeared once Jefferson was sidelined
Jefferson caught 2 passes on the opening drive for 32 yards, including a 22-yard reception on the opening play of the game. But that was it for Jefferson, as he spent the rest of the game on the sidelines with an ankle issue.
It appeared the injury was serious because he did not play after that, and it was clear the Vikings offense suffered without him. There was a brief respite in the second quarter when Murray hit Jordan Addison with a 41-yard TD pass, but the offense was brutal for most of the game.
However, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that Jefferson’s ankle sprain was not a serious injury and that he should not miss significant time.
The Minnesota offense is not going to function efficiently without Jefferson. He is the master of the contested catch and he regularly can get open for big plays.
The team cannot try to protect him or rest him because they have gotten off to a 3-0 start. The Vikings have gotten superior play from their defense and special teams. They need representative play from the offense, and the only way that happens is with Jefferson remaining on the field for 60 minutes.
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