5 October 2023
After being gifted a free play last week, the Vikings made the Carolina Panthers pay with a deep shot downfield.
The execution was perfect as quarterback Kirk Cousins delivered a pinpoint pass and star receiver Justin Jefferson rose up to make a spectacular catch in the end zone.
Asked about that sequence, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell heaped praise on Cousins for throwing the ball to Jefferson in that moment. It was single coverage on the outside, and thus, imperative that Cousin gave Jefferson a chance to do something special.
“We got a 1-on-1 there,” O’Connell said. “I thought Kirk did a great job of orchestrating that, holding the safety , then really throwing it to a great spot versus a good matchup.”
The fact that Jefferson outmuscled cornerback D’Shawn Jamison for the ball was further confirmation of his greatness.
Never mind that it was a 50-50 ball when Cousins let it rip. There’s no such thing as a 50-50 ball when it comes to Jefferson making a play downfield.
Everybody remembers the seemingly impossible catch he made against the Buffalo Bill last season, right? It was a desperate situation and Cousins went to Jefferson knowing that it gave the Vikings the best chance of moving the chains.
“Even when I’m not the most open, I want him to have that confidence to throw it up to me and have me go make a play,” Jefferson said. “I always try to put it in his ear that he always can have that confidence in me. I just go out there on Sundays and make it happen and show him that I’m that type of receiver. You can just throw it up to me.”
That hasn’t always been easy for Cousins to accept because ball security is something on which he prides himself. More often than not, he trusts his reads and throws to whoever is open. As a result, throwing the ball to somebody who might be covered at first glance can feel unnatural, even if that somebody is Jefferson.
It’s started to feel more natural to Cousins when it’s Jefferson on the other end. A good example of that came last week in practice when Cousins threw a ball that forced Jefferson to contort his body in midair.
“He was able to pivot and make a catch, and I looked back at our coaches and said, ‘Not a lot of receivers can do that,’ ” Cousins said. “It’s very difficult to adjust and have that kind of body control, so he took a throw that might be low percentage for others, and he made it high percentage in that moment.”
It becomes even more high percentage for Jefferson whenever he gets single coverage. It doesn’t happen often, to say the least.
“I definitely want it more than I’ve been given,” Jefferson said. “That goes to show the respect that they have for me.”
It raises the question: Why the heck did Jefferson get left 1-on-1 with Jamison last week?
“I think there was a little bit of confusion since there was a flag on the play,” Jefferson said. “It was great execution by us having that type of play in where if they do jump offsides, we can throw it downfield and make a play.”
On the plane ride back to the Twin Cities last week, Cousins peppered Jefferson with questions about the throw he made on the free play. Did he want more air on it? Did he want it on more of a line? Did he want to be led inside? Did he want it on his back shoulder?
“He didn’t give me much feedback,” Cousins said with a laugh. “He pretty much said, ‘You just put it out there and I’ll catch it.’ ”
That’s simple enough.
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