Getty The Vikings are considering the "big picture" and Justin Jefferson's long-term health after he suffered a hamstring injury in Week 5 against the Chiefs.
The Minnesota Vikings have tired of the antics they’ve encountered time and again this season involving dirty play directed at one of the franchise’s star performers.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell took to the podium on Monday, December 19, two days after the Vikings staged the biggest comeback in NFL history over the Indianapolis Colts. One of his primary talking points was that standout wide receiver Justin Jefferson has been the target of vicious and malicious hits by opposing defenders for several weeks in a row. The extra violence coming Jefferson’s way doesn’t read like a coincidence to his coach, but instead like a concerted and coordinated effort.
“I think it’s about the fifth or sixth week in a row he took a type of hit that drew a flag,” O’Connell said. “Clearly, there’s an emphasis on the teams we’re playing that some of those hits, they don’t just seem to be by accident at times.”
Colts Defense Latest Culprits in Hits Aimed to Hurt Justin Jefferson
GettyMinnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said the cheap shots at wide receiver Justin Jefferson have got to stop, for the good of the league.
The Colts were guilty of two such hits on Saturday. The first came from safety Rodney Thomas during the fourth quarter when Jefferson was operating as a “defenseless player,” per the NFL’s official definition. The play briefly knocked Jefferson out of the game and necessitated a medical evaluation from Minnesota’s training staff. O’Connell said Monday the hit resulted in a contusion to Jefferson’s rib and chest areas.
The second hit was one to the head from cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Jefferson held onto the ball, but was visibly angry with the play when he picked himself up off the turf. The league’s concussion protocol required Jefferson to leave the field again, heading into the blue tent for an evaluation of the potential head injury.
“I think we’ve got to protect him a little bit better,” O’Connell told reporters. “He’s too important to our league. Seems like a weekly occurrence at this point.”
Vikings’ Jefferson on Pace to Set All-Time NFL Receiving Record
GettyMinnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell called out the Indianapolis Colts for two dirty hits on Justin Jefferson during a game on Saturday, December 17, 2022, one of which left the wide receiver injured with a contusion to his rib and chest areas.
Despite the cheap shots from Colts players on Saturday, and several others in the weeks prior, Jefferson’s play has not been deterred. The wideout pulled down 12 catches for 123 yards and a touchdown in the Vikings’ 39-36 overtime win against Indy, which was only the most recent in a string of exceptional performances.
Through Week 15, Jefferson leads all receivers with 111 receptions and 1,623 receiving yards, per Pro Football Reference. Both of those marks are career highs with three regular season games yet to play. He has also caught seven touchdowns.
If Jefferson continues at his pace of 115.9 yards per game, a mark that also leads the league, he will break the all-time single-season receiving record of 1,964 yards set by Calvin Johnson in 2012 when he was a member of the Detroit Lions.
Even with the contusion, O’Connell said he expects Jefferson will be ready to play when the Vikings host the New York Giants in their final home game of the year on Saturday, December 24, in Minneapolis.