The Minnesota Vikings shocked the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15, but not before Stephon Gilmore delivered a cheap shot on Justin Jefferson. Jefferson said he has been used to getting hit a lot this season, much like Michael Jordan during the Piston's Bad Boy era, but that Gilmore's hit was too far.
After trailing 33-0 at halftime, the Vikings stormed back and defeated the Colts 39-36. Around the eight minute mark of the fourth quarter, Gilmore delivered a brutal blow to the Vikings' WR that immediately got flagged. Jefferson checked back into the game and isn't on the injury report heading into Week 16.
Safe to say Stephon Gilmore didn’t enjoy getting cooked by Justin Jefferson for a touchdown…
JJ likely entering concussion protocol after this hit given the new rules.
https://t.co/QwTDPAM1nL— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) December 17, 2022
Speaking on Wednesday, Jefferson compared himself to Michael Jordan in the way he was defended by the Pistons. Jordan was known to never back down, no matter how hard the Pistons played. But despite the toughness, Jefferson still felt Gilmore's hit was unlike the others.
Originally transcribed by Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Jefferson said many teams have put hits on him that were similar to Jordan's experience against Detroit. However, he felt that Gilmore's was, “uncalled for and over the line.”
Gilmore received an unnecessary roughness call on the play. He seemed to target Jefferson and hit him when he was defenseless. There is a potential for Gilmore to be fined for his hit.
While the hit he took from Gilmore might've not been like Jordan's, Justin Jefferson has had a Jordan-esque season. He has caught a league-leading 111 passes for an NFL high 1,623 yards and seven touchdowns.
With the Vikings squarely in the playoffs, they'll need Jefferson at full health. They're hoping their star WR doesn't take any more cheap shots anytime soon.
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