Vikings’ Justin Jefferson Delivers Reality Check After ‘Frustrating’ Loss

Getty Justin Jefferson #18 of the Minnesota Vikings emerges from the tunnel before facing the Los Angeles Rams.

The Minnesota Vikings have hit a speed bump after their 5-0 start, dropping back-to-back games to the Detroit Lions – which cost them the top spot in the NFC North standings – and Los Angeles Rams.

After the game, Pro Bowl wide receiver Justin Jefferson admitted the loss was “frustrating,” before sending a rallying cry to his teammates.

Jefferson wants the Vikings to make sure they do not fall too much further.

“It’s frustrating, especially coming off of a hot start,” Jefferson told reporters on October 24. “These past two games, we feel like you know we hurt ourselves in different ways. So it’s just back to the drawing board. There’s good things to take away from this game. But there’s some things that we need to go back in and correct and look in the mirror just trying to really figure out what we really want in this season.

“We’re off to a great start, and we can’t let that die down. And we can’t let us go over the hill and then slide right back down, so. … We just got to come in together as a team and just, like I said, figure out what we want to do and get back to the drawing board.”

Cameras caught Jefferson shaking his head on the bench after one Rams scoring drive.

Jefferson had eight receptions for 115 yards on nine targets in the loss to LA on Thursday Night Football in Week 8.

The lone missed connection was a touchdown where Jefferson fell trying to cut during his route.

Justin Jefferson ‘Will Be That Leader’ for Vikings

Jefferson pointed to poor execution and penalties as reasons for the Vikings’ recent woes. The Vikings were penalized eight times for 59 yards versus the Lions and another nine times for 50 yards versus the Rams.

The Vikings are the fifth-most penalized team in the NFL following their loss to LA in Week 8 and ahead of the Sunday slate of games, per Pro Football Reference.

Jefferson pointed to the Vikings having to settle for 3 points instead of getting 7 in the red zone.

They boast the eighth-best red zone success rate following the Rams game. However, they went 2-for-4 versus the Rams in that range – including the miss to Jefferson – and did not run a single play inside the red zone versus the Lions.

Jefferson, one of seven team captains this season, said he will take it upon himself to help the offense “lock in a little bit extra, a little bit harder.”

“I definitely will be that leader of the team to put a little extra motivation into these guys and give them a jump start,” Jefferson said. “That’s something we need, and just coming with some momentum, with some more energy. But I feel like everyone feels that they need to do a little extra this upcoming game. Just seeing what we’re doing out there on that field, we’re way better than what we’re doing out there on that field and we just need to all come together with one plan and execute it. Simple as that.”

Justin Jefferson Reacts to Christian Darrisaw’s Season-Ending Injury

The loss to LA not only cost the Vikings some momentum. But they also lost starting left tackle Christian Darrisaw for the season to multiple torn knee ligaments.

“It’s tough. He’s definitely one of the best tackles in this game,” Jefferson said. “Sam [Darnold]‘s blind side, that’s an important position, and it’s definitely tough to have him [Darrisaw] go down. But we always say, ‘Next man up.’ We’re always confident in the next man behind him, for him to come in the game and do the same exact things that that CD did when he was in the game.”

The Vikings turned to veteran David Quessenberry after Darrisaw’s exit from the game. The 34-year-old Quessenberry figures to get first crack at starting the Vikings’ Week 9 tilt versus the Indianapolis Colts, who have four of their last five games.

If he is unable to hold up, the Vikings have two weeks until the NFL trade deadline.