Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is on pace for almost 100 catches and nearly 1,300 yards this season, despite an offense stilted by injuries and poor quarterback play.
Still, the superstar feels like he and the team are underachieving. And after seeing a video on social media of his otherworldly 4th and 18 catch against the Buffalo Bills in 2022, Jefferson says he needs to get back to his "old self."
"Just trying to work back into that, the feeling of being out there on Sundays and going out there and just killing it, whoever's in front of me," Jefferson said. "It's just going out there with that 'eff it' mentality and just going out there and just killing it and not worrying about the plays, not worrying about anything else that I, just like you said, can't control."
Jefferson insists any perceived frustration is spurred not by first-time NFL starter J.J. McCarthy or head coach Kevin O'Connell's playcalling, but instead, a fervent desire to win.
"I love this job and I love being here with these guys, being here with this organization. So there's definitely a lot of great things to be grateful for and to be happy about," he said. "I'm just a ultracompetitor and I hate to lose at the end of the day."
McCarthy threw two interceptions while targeting Jefferson downfield in Sunday's loss to the Baltimore Ravens, and missed his nigh-unstoppable wideout on a handful of other throws. Social media critics questioned Jefferson's effort when he appeared to abandon the pursuit of a Ravens defender after McCarthy's second pick.
"Of course I'm mad after an interception. You want me to be happy and go chase them down?" Jefferson said. "That's not really something I want to happen, and of course, the outcome of the game is us losing. I was the one that's getting thrown the ball and it's getting picked off. A lot of emotion goes toward that, but at the end of the day, I want to win."
Despite the growing pains of playing with a young passer, Jefferson said there's no rift between him and McCarthy, who Jefferson called "a great quarterback."
"I'm always gonna be that person for J.J. to always lean on to talk to about any of that type of stuff, and I'm always gonna be that person to motivate him to always continue to be better, regardless if he's my quarterback or not," Jefferson said. "I like J.J. I love J.J. as a person and as a player. So I will continue to strive for that and I want the best outcome for him."
Jefferson also admitted some of his vexation comes from the way defenses hyperfixate on him.
"What I'm hearing from other defensive coordinators and other players, the main objective is to keep me out the game as much as possible and let everybody else beat us," he said.
The Vikings' offense, though, has no shortage of other weapons — Jordan Addison, Jalen Nailor, Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason and T.J. Hockenson, for instance — and if success remains elusive, Jefferson's distemper, as well as that of the fans, could boil over.
"Just wanting a better outcome and, of course, the offense that we have, I feel like we should be playing better than what we are," Jefferson said.
As he usually does, though, the face of the Vikings' franchise put the onus on himself.
"As long as that ball is hitting my hands and I'm having a great chance at making the play, then I always feel confident in J.J. throwing me up that rock and letting me make the most of the opportunity," he said.