First, it was the rash of injuries. Then, a brief panic over the sieve that was the offensive line. Recently, it was the nebulous and complicated quarterback dilemma. There’s been a lot of talk in Minnesota this season, but very little of it pertaining to arguably the best football player on the planet.
Justin Jefferson already holds plenty of receiving records at 26, and he’ll break a dozen more by the time he hangs it up. But talk surrounding the superstar, and his play in 2025, has been relatively quiet this season. There’s a big chance that all changes on Sunday, as the Minnesota Vikings welcome a very different Philadelphia Eagles team from the one that won a Super Bowl in February.
It certainly helps that Jefferson doesn’t create or seek out drama like other star receivers around the league. Still, it’s time to remind the world, and even Vikings fans, that he’s the best player in the NFL.
With Minnesota’s early offensive struggles this year, Jefferson ranks just 17th in catches and 23rd in targets. Outside of his rookie year and his injury-plagued 2023 season, he’s never finished worse than sixth in either category. He hasn’t reeled in a touchdown pass since the season opener, either, and teams have generally kept him in check. But over the last two games, he’s combined for 17 catches and 249 yards, and should have another great opportunity to keep the momentum going on Sunday.
The Eagles fly into town on a two-game losing streak with a secondary that’s had its fair share of struggles. Philadelphia famously, and possibly regrettably, moved on from Isaiah Rodgers in the offseason. They also parted ways with Darius Slay, opting instead to go for a younger but less experienced back end. Those moves left them with Quinyon Mitchell, Adoree’ Jackson, and Kelee Ringo to man the outside.
Mitchell is by far the best of the group but has been battling a hamstring injury and might not suit up this weekend. Jackson and Ringo have been inconsistent, and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has already benched both at various points.
“We’ve got to settle in and find somebody out there that we can rely on,” Fangio said earlier this week. “I think we have the guys that can do that, we just got to get them playing better.”
Last week, New York Giants rookie Jaxson Dart picked apart Philadelphia’s secondary in his third NFL game. He completed 68% of his passes during his efficient night on the way to a 90.1 QBR.
Ringo and Jackson currently rank 135th and 140th, respectively, in PFF’s cornerback rankings this season. Philadelphia’s cornerback situation has gotten so dire that Fangio admitted this week they’re looking at potentially playing rookie cornerback Mac McWilliams, who hasn’t played a defensive snap all season and has been a healthy scratch the last two games.
It’s safe to say that desperation has fully taken over the Philly secondary.
The Eagles haven’t had much success rushing the passer, either, which has put more pressure on the struggling secondary. They’ve totaled just nine sacks on the year, but the return of defensive tackle Jalen Carter should improve their anemic pass rush. However, the Vikings are also getting healthier along the offensive line, which should be able to mitigate some of that damage and keep the heat on those cornerbacks.
Projected starter Carson Wentz shouldn’t need to look very far for some extra motivation against his former team, and he should have no trouble replicating Dart’s efforts against the lackluster Philly cornerbacks. His connection with Jefferson seems to be blossoming in recent weeks, and, to be fair, Wentz joined the team in late August. Jefferson has consistently proven throughout his career that he’s quarterback-proof, but it helps to have some level of chemistry.
With Jordan Addison back in the fold, things should only get easier for Jefferson. It’s no coincidence that his two best games have come after Addison rejoined the team. While the Eagles are still a 4-2 squad and reigning champions, there are a lot of ways that this ends up being Jefferson’s best game yet in 2025.
Jefferson hasn’t quite put up his typical numbers yet this year. Still, there’s no reason to think that he can’t top the receiving leaderboards by the season’s end. Minnesota’s offense is working through a myriad of issues, but Jefferson’s consistency has never faltered. With Philadelphia struggling to find an identity and a warm body who can play CB2, the stars are aligning for a quick refresher on why Justin Jefferson should be the name on everyone’s lips.