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It doesn’t take extreme math to figure out the Minnesota Vikings have a Justin Jefferson problem. They need to get him the ball if they want to keep their undefeated run going. But being 6-0 is helping Jefferson put on a good face during the worst start of his career, according to ESPN.
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“His 60.4 receiving yards per game through Week 7 is 32% lower than his next-worst start to a season in 2025, when he averaged 88 yards,” Kevin Seifert wrote. “His 23 catches are also his lowest total through the first seven weeks of a season in his career. All told, 71 NFL players have more targets than Jefferson (31) this season.”
Yikes. Hello, may I speak to Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell? Has he lost his ability to oversee an actual NFL offense?
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Jefferson is saying the right things. Well, maybe not the “right” things. But certainly the team things.
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“I definitely would love winning games over having that production,” Jefferson said. “There was definitely years before where I had that production and was not winning games. But we’re winning games. And we’re the only team undefeated in the league.
“What we’re doing right now [as a team] is working. Obviously there’s things to do better and things to fix on the offensive side of things. But all in all, it’s coming together. And we’re doing things to win games.”
O’Connell is actually defending the team’s inability to get targets for Jefferson. Not catches. Targets.
“In the past we were throwing the ball a thousand times,” O’Connell said Wednesday when asked about the drop in Jefferson’s production. “That’s one thing. When you lead the league, or you’re close to, in rushing attempts on the early downs, controlling the game or attempting to control the game, there may not be just the amount of volume [of throws]. But he’s our best player. We’ve got to find a way to continue to activate him.”
Problem is: Jefferson doesn’t have the most targets — ON THE TEAM. That belongs to a tight end. TJ Hockenson has 32 targets.
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Related: NFL rumors: Tom Pelissero sends Vikings warning about any Jonathan Taylor trade hype
Related: Kevin O’Connell reveals real reason for quiet Justin Jefferson stretch, and Vikings fans are puzzled
