Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson pointed to missed chances after a 19-15 defeat to the Detroit Lions, while backing injured quarterback Kyler Murray. Justin Jefferson skipped the postgame microphones after Minnesota’s first defeat, then returned four days later with a pointed message for his own offense. The Minnesota Vikings wide receiver said his visible anger during the 19-15 defeat against the Detroit Lions stemmed from a simple desire to win, according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert.
His target was an offense that keeps tripping over itself. It’s just wanting better from the whole entire offense especially. And I feel like the potential and the guys that we have in that room is something very, very special.” He added that Minnesota is “wasting” that talent by failing to execute the plays being called.
Even at 6-1, the numbers explain his mood. Jefferson has 28 catches for 335 yards, the slowest start of his career, and the offense ranks among the league’s worst in scoring and yardage. Against Detroit, he finished with five receptions for 33 yards.
One was a 1-yard touchdown he tipped to himself, but quarterback Kyler Murray failed to connect with him repeatedly and threw an interception on one target just before halftime. Jefferson has twice won the Korey Stringer Good Guy Award for being accommodating to the local press, yet he stayed quiet after the loss. Murray and head coach Kevin O’Connell each conceded he was upset.
Why the offense keeps sputtering is still a mystery to him. We’re confident in him, so we just going to keep riding with him.” O’Connell’s own trust in his quarterback looked thinner late in the game, when he punted on fourth-and-5 from his own 33 with 3:01 remaining. Murray won’t get the next chance anyway.
A hamstring injury from the Detroit game keeps him out against the Buffalo Bills, leaving quarterback Carson Wentz to try to get Jefferson going.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
