There is no debate when it comes to the talent of Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Justin Jefferson. He has quickly cemented himself among the best players in the NFL at his position, putting himself squarely in the conversation for the No. 1 spot.
So, it should come as no surprise that Vikings fans didn’t take kindly to what one media personality had to say about their star wide receiver. Pat McAfee found himself in the crosshairs of the fan base after making some comments that were taken as a shot at Justin Jefferson.
During his show last week, McAfee was talking about the Vikings’ decision to release running back Dalvin Cook and build him up as a player. But, at the same time, he made comments that could be perceived as shots at Justin Jefferson.
“Dalvin Cook was their offense,” McAfee said on his show. “The reason why I think Justin Jefferson has all the thing is because Dalvin Cook’s in the backfield. Now, (Alexander) Mattison’s going to have to earn that same type of respect from defenses, and I assume he will. But damn, if you’re a team that can pick up that respect in the box from one signing of a guy, that feels like an easy decision.”
The overlying point that McAfee was trying to make was that he believes Cook to still be an excellent player. Many Vikings fans would agree with that as well, but for him to add in Justin Justin Jefferson in the fashion that he did, it is easy to see why he drew the ire of many people.
When taking a look at how the team’s offense operated last season, McAfee is off base as well. The Vikings had an inefficient rushing attack, which led to teams backing out of the box and daring the team to run the ball. They threw the ball on 67 percent of their plays as well, which was third highest in the league. (H/T MSN)
Opponents knew what was coming when the Vikings’ offense stepped on the field; they just had no way of stopping it. That speaks volumes to the caliber of player that Justin Jefferson is, as McAfee walked back his comments the following day.
“I have to talk to the Minnesota Vikings fans,” McAfee said. “I said while breaking down Dalvin Cook, I said he helps Justin Jefferson. I don’t know how I said it, I must’ve said it in a way — I haven’t listened to it back, so that’s 100 percent on me. Vikings fans were f****** attacking me, coming after me. I have massive respect for Justin Jefferson. I never said anything about Justin Jefferson not being incredible. I’m just talking about fundamentally, whenever there is a star missing from the field, that is going to change the way a defense looks at the whole thing.”
While this seems like a case of misunderstanding, McAfee did a good job of clearing the air with his follow-up. No negativity was meant to be shown toward Justin Jefferson, which he explained as his wording with the original point was poor.
