The Minnesota Vikings were the latest team to find out firsthand that these aren’t the same old Detroit Lions. Minnesota was defeated on the road in convincing fashion 34-23 by a Lions team that is catching fire.
Something clicked for the Lions at the end of October and they have been on quite an impressive stretch since, winning five out of their last six games. The offense remains one of the most prolific units in the league, while the defense is making some major strides.
The 23 points scored is tied for the third least in a game by the Vikings this season, as they scored 28 against the Lions in their first meeting of the season in Week 3. While their scoring output was below average for them, that isn’t the fault of Justin Jefferson.
It was another day at the office for Jefferson, who is putting himself back on pace to break Calvin Johnson’s record for receiving yards in a single season, who had 1,964 yards in 2012. Jefferson is now averaging 115.4 yards per game on the season, which puts him on pace to fall two yards short of Johnson’s mark.
After being held to 45 yards or fewer in two out of the last three games, Jefferson had a monster performance against the Lions. He became the first player this season to catch at least 10 passes for 200 yards, finishing the game with 11 receptions for 223 yards.
The only other player to achieve those marks in a game is Davante Adams, who did it in Week 5 of the 2021 season. This is the second time that Jefferson has done it, as he also accomplished it in Week 17 of last season.
Being so close to the record, you can be sure that the Vikings will continue feeding the ball to him in his pursuit of history. Minnesota likely doesn’t have to change much as Jefferson has proven that he is among the best wide receivers in the NFL and can beat most any coverage that opponents throw at him.
In the last four games of the season, Jefferson has some wonderful matchups to take advantage of. The Indianapolis Colts, with Stephon Gilmore, likely present the toughest one in Week 15. After that, he can feast against a decimated New York Giants secondary, before facing off with NFC North rivals in the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears.
In two games against the Packers and Bears this season, Jefferson has caught 21 passes for 338 yards and two touchdowns. It is certainly fair to say that Johnson’s record is definitely within reach for Jefferson, who could have the first 2,000-yard receiving season in NFL history if he has any more repeat performances as he achieved against Minnesota.
