This Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings will take on the Detroit Lions in a huge NFC North showdown at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Justin Jefferson vs. DET has an incredible career
The winner will sit at the top of the division, and if the Vikings win, it will create some rift not only in the division but also in the conference. One Viking has especially enjoyed playing for the Lions since entering the league. This Sunday, Justin Jefferson will look to continue his incredible streak and produce another monster game against the Lions.
Over the past four seasons, Jefferson has faced the Lions eight times. In those eight games, Jefferson had 62 catches on 83 targets for 1,073 yards and three touchdowns. That impressive record includes a game in which he had a career-high 223 receiving yards. Here’s a complete breakdown of each of Jefferson’s games against the Lions.
2020
Week 8: 3 catches on 4 targets for 64 yards. Week 17: 9 catches on 12 targets for 133 yards.
2021
Week 5: 7 catches on 8 targets for 124 yards. Week 13: 11 catches on 14 targets for 182 yards and 1 touchdown.
2022
Week 3: 3 catches on 6 targets for 14 yards. Week 14: 11 catches on 15 targets for 223 yards.
2023
Week 16: 6 catches on 10 targets for 141 yards and 1 touchdown. Week 18: 12 catches on 14 targets for 192 yards and 1 touchdown.
The Week 3 game in 2022 was the only time the Lions were able to shut up Jefferson. The Vikings won the game with touchdowns from KJ Osborne, Adam Thielen, Dalvin Cook, and Alexander Mattison. Other than that, the Lions haven’t been able to deal with Jefferson. That hasn’t necessarily translated into wins, with the Lions winning four of the past five meetings. In the eight games that Jefferson has played against the Lions, the series is 4-4.
Is it another big day?
The Vikings are hoping for further growth from their star players, but they need more help from their supporting cast than they did last season. This is a big game even though it’s early in the season. It would be fair to expect Jefferson to be heavily integrated into the Vikings’ offensive scheme. The Lions will be without star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson, leaving their pass defense significantly weaker. First-round rookie cornerback Terion Arnold was drafted to answer the Lions’ perimeter weaknesses. So far, he’s found life difficult, posting a poor coverage grade of 47.3 in his first five games and allowing a passer rating of 91.1 according to Pro Football Focus.
Meanwhile, the Lions have solid veteran cornerback Carlton Davis, who came to Detroit after six seasons in Tampa Bay. Davis is on the injury report with a quadriceps injury, but his fitness is noteworthy. If Davis isn’t doing well, second-round rookie Ennis Rakstro will likely take on an additional role. Slowing down Jefferson and Jordan Addison will be a big ask for the Lions’ secondary. Especially without Hutchinson up front. The smart money would be on Jefferson putting up big numbers again.
2024 jefferson
It felt like a quiet start to the season by Jefferson’s high standards, but his 450 receiving yards are the sixth-most in the league. All five players in front of him except Nico Collins have played more games as they still have their bye weeks left. The seven players following him have yet to reach their bye weeks.
Collins finished with a league-leading 567 yards, but missed the Texans’ final game with a hamstring injury. Collins has been placed on reserve/injured list and will miss at least three more games, with a bye week in Week 14. After all, I’m not going to bet on Jefferson leading the league in receiving yards.
The Vikings’ offense wasn’t about throwing for more than 400 yards this season. It didn’t have to be that way. They took an early lead in every match and looked for a controlled and balanced attack. Sam Darnold has yet to have a 300-yard passing game as a Viking, but there will come a time when the Vikings need to keep up the offense — likely this weekend. One area where Jefferson started at an unprecedented pace was touchdowns. He has scored in each of his first four games and is on pace to surpass his career-best scoring season of 10 points in 2021.
There’s no doubt that Jefferson will have a big say in how this game plays out, but as we’ve seen in recent meetings, he can’t win the game on his own.
