The Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings both enter Week 3 at 1-1. However, the outlook for each team is wildly different. Amon-Ra St. Brown and Co. put on a masterclass against the Chicago Bears. The Minnesota Vikings, on the other hand, saw J.J. McCarthy struggle again as they lost to the Atlanta Falcons. Star wideout Justin Jefferson is one of many dealing with problems.
Jefferson has seven catches for 125 yards through two games this season. For him, those numbers are far below average. With McCarthy out for Minnesota's Week 3 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals, the wideout's struggles might not end anytime soon. For one of the best receivers in all of the NFL, the team's quarterback problems could hold Jefferson back throughout 2025.
When he is healthy, Jefferson is a top talent. He backed McCarthy up in his NFL debut, but he and the Vikings face big questions moving forward. St. Brown spoke on his podcast about his fellow star's struggles and how much he feels for Jefferson.
“I love watching Justin Jefferson play. I think he’s one of the best in the game,” St. Brown said. “So, I love watching him play and I'm watching like, I know he's frustrated. I'm like, bro, it just doesn't look like the offenses that they've had in the past with Kirk there with Sammy D last year. And I know JJ's young, you know, it's a learning curve for him. It's basically his second game starting in the league. So, it's a bunch of stuff going on for him, but just I feel like the way that they operated, I mean, Kevin O’Connell, I think, is a really good coach. So, their offense, watching that against the Falcons kind of disappointed me. I would say that it's one of my disappointments so far, for sure.”
St. Brown and Jefferson have two games against each other later this season. However, how Carson Wentz plays for the Vikings could determine how much is riding on the matchup.
