Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson is stepping up as the leader of his offense after Kirk Cousins’ departure, encouraging quarterbacks Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy to trust him more and have greater confidence in throwing him the ball.
In a feature by the Minnesota Star Tribune on September 5, Jefferson expressed the same level of support for his new quarterbacks that he showed Cousins during his first four NFL seasons.
Now the highest-paid player on the team, Jefferson’s elevated status in the locker room has him urging his quarterbacks to trust him even more than Cousins did, especially in key moments.
“It’s going to be different. But I want them to have the same confidence in me to make a play, just like Kirk did in those critical moments,” Jefferson said. “I actually want them to have even more confidence than Kirk had. Kirk was comfortable in the system, having run it early in Washington. I just want to give them that extra boost, so they know I’ll make a play whenever they give me the opportunity.”
Sam Darnold’s Past Struggles Should Entice Vikings’ Justin Jefferson
With Sam Darnold stepping in as quarterback this season, the Vikings face the opposite challenge they had with Kirk Cousins over the past six years.
Cousins was initially known for being overly cautious, often criticized for frequent checkdowns. While stats didn’t show a significant difference in his checkdown rate compared to other quarterbacks, he gradually became more aggressive with the ball under head coach Kevin O’Connell.
Now, O’Connell faces a different challenge with Darnold, who has a reputation for being overly aggressive, frequently taking deep shots and making turnover-prone plays throughout his six-year career.
This may stem from Darnold’s time on struggling teams, where he often felt the need to play “hero ball.”
O’Connell has urged Darnold to play within the system this season, especially since he’s now surrounded by the best offensive talent of his career.
The key to the Vikings’ success will be whether Darnold can curb his erratic decision-making and choose the right moments to take risks.
While Darnold has never lacked confidence, being known for his bold play style, having a reliable target like Jefferson should help him feel more secure when taking those big shots.
Vikings Are Road Favorites Over Giants in Week 1
The Vikings enter the 2024 season as 1.5-point favorites against the New York Giants, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
There’s plenty of skepticism surrounding Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, now on his fourth team since being drafted third overall in 2018. Ranked 27th in NFL.com’s Week 1 QB Index, Darnold faces pressure to prove himself. However, the Vikings’ offense should give him a solid foundation, especially against a Giants defense that struggled last year, allowing 23.9 points per game (seventh-worst in the league).
These teams last met in the 2022 NFC wild-card round, where the Giants won 31-24 after Kirk Cousins’ controversial checkdown to T.J. Hockenson on a critical fourth down. Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, who received a four-year, $160 million extension the following offseason, hasn’t lived up to expectations. The Giants finished 6-11 last year, going 2-7 before losing Jones to an ACL injury in Week 9.
Jones, ranked as the worst starting quarterback in NFL.com’s QB Index, leads an offense missing Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley, who signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. Devin Singletary is set to take over as the Giants’ lead back.
On the other side, the Vikings’ offense has been bolstered by the addition of former Packers running back Aaron Jones, who is expected to ease the pressure on Darnold and help maintain drives, complementing an improved Vikings defense.
