Getty Wide receiver Justin Jefferson #18 of the Minnesota Vikings reacts during the fourth quarter against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 31, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
The Minnesota Vikings‘ inability to find a suitable replacement for QB Kirk Cousins has probably already cost the team the playoffs. On Sunday in Detroit, it also finally exhausted the patience of star wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
Trailing 13-0 in a road game the Vikings needed to win to retain any hope of an NFC Wildcard playoff berth, quarterback Nick Mullens was able to muster 14-play, 59-yard drive spanning nearly eight minutes. The offense moved the football down to the Lions‘ 8-yard line before the drive fell apart.
Running back Alexander Mattison ran off left tackle for no gain on first down. Jefferson lost 12 yards on the next play — an end around run off the right edge, which defensive end Aiden Hutchinson blew up.
Mullens incurred a five-yard delay of game penalty ahead of third down, pushing Minnesota back into a third-and-goal from the 25-yard line. Mullens threw a short pass to Jefferson on the next play for a four-yard gain. The drive ended in a 39-yard Greg Joseph field goal to make the score 13-3 in favor of Detroit.
Fox Sports posted video on social media of Jefferson storming off the field following the unsuccessful third-down play, ripping off his helmet and barking loudly at no one in particular with disdain spread across his face. Analyst Daryl Johnston narrated Jefferson’s frustration, explaining it in the context of Mullens’ play.
Justin Jefferson is visibly frustrated on the Vikings sideline
“[It’s] the decisions, the little things. I really think that that one play was [a run-pass option] because [Mullens] just got stuck on Alexander Mattison too long,” Johnston said. “I think he’s trying to figure out whether to pull it, and he really should have on that play. He’s gonna have [tight end] Johnny Mundt, who had out-leveraged everybody. And then the next play after that, it’s Aiden Hutchinson.”
Justin Jefferson Has Battled Through Difficult 4th Season with Vikings
GettyMinnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
Jefferson started the 2023 campaign off an All-Pro season in 2022 that ended with the Vikings hosting a playoff game during Wildcard Weekend. He also knew that a historic contract extension for the position was waiting for him somewhere in the near future.
Considering those circumstances, Jefferson’s year couldn’t have gone much worse.
The wide receiver started off the year hot, as expected, catching 33 passes for a league-leading 543 yards and 3 TDs through the first four games. However, Minnesota’s defense had yet to find its footing and the running game was showing sings of struggle that would plague that phase of the offense for essentially the entire year.
Cousins was still healthy, and so the pass game was humming. Even still, the Vikings were 1-3 and hosting the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in Week 5. Jefferson made 3 catches for 28 yards in that contest before suffering a hamstring strain that ultimately sidelined him for the next two months. Minnesota lost its fourth one-score game of the season and fell to 1-4.
Trade talk swirled around Cousins for the next several weeks, as Jefferson could do nothing but watch from the sideline. But despite the pressure, Minnesota held onto its QB and fought back to 4-4. But then Cousins went down with a season-ending Achilles tear two days ahead of the NFL trade deadline, and the Vikings were forced to scramble for answers.
Vikings Have Not Found Reliable Backup QB Since Kirk Cousins’ Injury
GettyQuarterback Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings.
Minnesota traded a Day-3 draft pick for QB Josh Dobbs, starting rookie Jaren Hall in Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons — the game following Cousins’ injury. Hall left that contest before the end of the first quarter due to a concussion. Dobbs took over and led the team to an improbable victory, which marked the dawn of his brief era as the starter.
Dobbs started the next four games, in which Minnesota went 2-2. The coaching staff pulled him in the fourth stanza against the Las Vegas Raiders on December 10, Jefferson’s first game back after missing seven contests, after the team mustered just 33 points over Dobbs’ previous 11 quarters under center. Head coach Kevin O’Connell inserted Mullens, who led the Vikings on a late field-goal drive to secure a 3-0 victory.
The win ushered in the Mullens era in Minnesota, as the Vikings moved to 7-6. Mullens threw for 300-plus and 400-plus yards in the next two games, respectively, but also tossed 6 interceptions over that span across two one-score losses.
O’Connell went back to Hall out of desperation in what was essentially a must-win contest against the Green Bay Packers in Week 17, but pulled him at halftime and re-inserted Mullens. Minnesota lost regardless, falling to 7-9, while their playoff chances dropped to below 3% with one game to play, per ESPN’s Football Power Index.
The Vikings’ backup QBs have been unable to capitalize on Jefferson’s talent, as the receiver hauled in just 20 catches for 311 yards and 1 TD between Weeks 14-17. Jefferson tallied 9 grabs for 147 yards and 1 TD through three quarters against the Lions in Week 18, though the Vikings trailed 20-13 at that point.