16 September 2024
Justin Jefferson wasn’t going to be denied.
After beating double coverage and hauling in a deep pass from Sam Darnold near the 50-yard line on Sunday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium, Jefferson’s relentless determination took over in the open field.
The Vikings receiver sprinted toward the left side of the field, put on the brakes near the 30-yard line, and cut back against the grain toward the right side of the field. It was a footrace from there, and while Jalen Nailor deserves a ton of credit for racing in to lay the final block, Jefferson was always going to find a way to score.
“As soon as I caught the ball and I seen all of the open space I was like, ‘I can’t get tackled,’ ” Jefferson said. “It was a must. My whole, entire career, I’ve been getting tackled at the 10-yard line or the 5-yard line. It wasn’t going to happen this time.”
It went down as a 97-yard touchdown for Jefferson and helped put the Vikings in control on their way to a big 23-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers. In total, Jefferson traveled 127 1/2 yards on the play, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, the most distance traveled by a ball carrier on an offensive touchdown since the company started tracking that type of data nearly a decade ago.
“That was definitely my longest,” Jefferson said. “I had to get the oxygen mask after that.”
The fact that Jefferson scored on the play can’t be overstated. He didn’t get caught from behind after making the catch. He didn’t get dragged down when his legs started to tire. He didn’t get pushed of bounds near the goal line.
None of that. When the opportunity presented itself, Jefferson made sure the play ended in a touchdown.
Not everybody would have been able to do the same if put in that position. It was a moment only made possible by Jefferson’s relentless determination to find the end zone.
“It was obviously a really, really good play,” Darnold said. “To be able to cut back and still have enough juice to pull away from those guys was impressive.”
That absolutely matters. If he doesn’t score at that point in the game, maybe the Vikings end up settling for a field goal, or even worse, maybe the 49ers end up forcing a turnover. The individual effort from Jefferson left no doubt.
“An amazing football player,” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said. “An even more amazing competitor.”
Indeed. As talented as Jefferson is at his core, he has been able to maximize his potential largely because of that competitiveness. He can effortlessly flip the switch when he gets between the white lines in a way not many of his peers can while in the heat of battle.
It helped him follow in the footsteps of his older brothers despite being lightly recruited out of Destrehan High School in Louisiana. It helped him go from an unheralded prospect to a bonafide superstar at Louisiana State University. It helped him become arguably the best receiver on the planet after the Vikings selected him with the No. 22 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
All of it stems from Jefferson’s relentless determination. That has been on display at every stage of his life during his football rise, so it’s only right that it showed up once again when the Vikings needed it most against the 49ers.
“You always kind of dream of those 99-, 98-, 97-yard touchdowns,” Jefferson said. “It was a great call at the right time and a great ball by Sam.”
Then a great play by Jefferson.
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