Justin Jefferson is key to a Vikings victory over the Bears, and it’s not for the reason you think
The Vikings are going to need every advantage they can get for J.J. McCarthy.
The Minnesota Vikings are days away from playing the Chicago Bears on Monday night and all eyes will be on quarterback J.J. McCarthy and wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
This is the beginning of the new era for the Vikings, and it will determine the legacies of both head coach Kevin O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. How will the connection between Jefferson and McCarthy begin to manifest from the get-go? There will be a lot of attention given to Jefferson by defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, and that could end up being the downfall of the Bears because of cornerback Jaylon Johnson.
Justin Jefferson can take advantage of Jaylon Johnson’s injury
Jefferson and Johnson have something in common: they both missed the majority of training camp with soft tissue injuries. Jefferson has returned to practice, and Johnson was hoping to get cleared for practice on Tuesday so he can play.
His injury was described as “pretty bad” and it could be a hindrance going into Monday’s game.
“I like to say I can go out there and play,” said Johnson about his injury. “But I mean, it’s definitely hard to. I feel like if we had a game today, it wouldn’t be a thing. But I think really this week will be important for me to get the pads back on, get practices under my belt, game speed, moving around, covering guys, communicating. I think that all will help me. But again, there’s not too much you can replicate in the game.”
One of the big things with nursing an injury like a groin for that long is how it could hinder his conditioning. Without being able use his legs like normal to both keep and build that conditioning, it could be a major factor on Monday night.
In the matchup last year at Soldier Field, the Bears made Jefferson their sole focus to stop, and it worked. He caught just two passes for 27 yards on five targets. That allowed Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and Aaron Jones to all pass 100 yards from scrimmage. This time around, Hockenson is 10 months further removed from his torn ACL, the offensive line is stronger, Adam Thielen replaces Addison, and the running game looks to be more formidable.
If Johnson is out, having Jefferson doubled in that same way is going to be significant for Allen as he tries to construct his defense for Monday night. The approach will likely be more of a zone one with some potential shading toward Jefferson, and that will open the door for O’Connell to attack the defense in varying ways, especially on in-breaking routes.
If Johnson isn’t 100% ready, it could be the key to a Vikings victory.
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