Justin Jefferson Needs a Mulligan for the Bears

When is Minnesota Vikings? faced the Chicago Bears A few weeks ago at Soldier Field, superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson was kept in check. Head coach Matt Eberflus handed the defensive keys to the talented winger, but he got burned by everyone in the process. It remains to be seen whether Thomas Brown will follow suit, but the Vikings will opt for a better play.

Justin Jefferson Needs a Mulligan for the Bears

Jefferson made it clear that he understands that if teams focus on him, everyone else will eat. He also knows that former teammate Ja’Marr Chase is the only one ahead of him in terms of yardage. The Bengals wideout enters the weekend with a 149-yard advantage. Jefferson has work to do if he’s going to catch him.

The Bengals went for the Chase early and often. He has 20 more targets and turns them into 18 more receptions than Jefferson. The Vikings were at their best when quarterback Sam Darnold avoided forcing the ball to the best option. It’s clear that Darnold now realizes how good Jordan Addison is, too. Minnesota’s second wide receiver would be a top option on more than one team. But this eliminates some of Jefferson’s production.

it is possible Jefferson can’t catch Chase. Closing that gap will be difficult, and the Cincinnati Bengals have much less to play for given their overall record. If he is going to get back to the top of the leaderboard, it will start with a better result against the Chicago Bears.

Jefferson did nothing to hurt Minnesota in game one against Chicago. His attention gave Darnold better windows to operate from. If the Bears are going to pursue him with safety help on the mound, he can be counted on to do it again. If they change things up, they have almost no chance of keeping him under control.

The truth is that Minnesota is a seven-point favorite for a reason. That’s a pretty big difference that shows just how good the Vikings are.

It’s not shocking to have no answers for Justin Jefferson, but the Vikings want to use him a lot more than he was able to last time out.

---

Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities who focuses on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. Currently active: excitement and writes every day Minnesota Sports Fan. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, passionately following our professional teams has always seemed like a very natural outlet.