Justin Jefferson’s success in one key area further proves Kevin O’Connell needs to level up his offense

The screen game has always been an issue for the Vikings, but Justin Jefferson elevated it this season.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) is tackled by Green Bay Packers safety Kitan Oladapo (27) during the first quarter of their game Sunday, January 4, 2026 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

One of the biggest criticisms of Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell’s offense has been the usage of the easy button. He hasn’t done enough to make things easier for his offenses during his tenure with the Vikings, but we started to see a slight shift in 2025.

The screen game hasn’t been a huge factor in O’Connell’s offense. In 2024, 70 of the 588 passing attempts (11.9 percent). It took a step forward this year in opportunities, with 63 screens in 484 attempts (13.01 percent). The spike in instances came with the Vikings having J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer as the starting quarterbacks.

Justin Jefferson leads NFL in one category

Those screen passes have seen an increased effectiveness as well, with the Vikings focusing on getting wide receiver Justin Jefferson the football. Pro Football Focus named Jefferson the best in the NFL at catching screen passes.

“Justin Jefferson had a frustrating year, just barely maintaining his streak of six 1,000-yard seasons to start his career. While it felt like much of Jefferson’s grievances were a consequence of bad quarterback play and totally beyond his control, one area where he could heavily influence the outcome was on screen passes. 

“Jefferson caught all 20 screen pass targets, turning them into 7.8-yard gains on average. It’s an underrated part of his game, which he has really developed over the past two seasons.  

“Truthfully, there was no dominant screen pass wide receiver this year. Ever-elusive veteran Deebo Samuel was also right in the mix for this crown, but his 234 yards after catch were rendered down to just 157 yards from scrimmage due to the depth of Washington’s screen concepts. 

“Given the dominance Jefferson typically exudes in all other facets of being a wide receiver, I think it’s only fair that we throw him a bone here. “

When Jefferson got into the NFL, getting yards after the catch wasn’t his forte. He thrived in running routes to get open in space. They weren’t giving him a lot of designed screen passes. That has evolved over time, and he thrived. In throws behind the line of scrimmage, Jefferson caught all 20 passes for 131 yards and a 91.1 receiving grade from PFF.

It’s a crucial development for the Vikings in getting Jefferson, and it’s going to be more important next season with the continued issues at quarterback. Hopefully, O’Connell continues to grow the screen game in his offense, because it’s working.

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