Justin Jefferson said the Vikings’ season-opening win over the Packers was a testament to the team’s resilience after overcoming early adversity and rallying for 29 unanswered points.
Jefferson admitted there was initial frustration when starting quarterback Kyler Murray went down with an injury in the first half, but said the offense never wavered after veteran Carson Wentz entered the game.
“It was a difficult year last year, but to come in Week 1 against a division opponent and face that type of adversity, with a quarterback going down, and have nobody blink, that says a lot about this team,” Jefferson said. “We had full confidence in Carson to go out there and manage the game like Kyler was still in there.”
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Jefferson praised Wentz for bringing a steady presence to the huddle, describing the veteran as “cool, calm and collected like always.”
“It was like he’s been there before because he has,” Jefferson said. “He came in with poise, managed the offense and led us to a great team win.”
The star receiver credited Minnesota’s defense for helping spark the comeback. Multiple takeaways in the second half gave the offense favorable field position and fueled the Vikings’ momentum as they scored touchdowns on all four of their red-zone opportunities.
“Momentum is a crazy drug,” Jefferson said. “The defense was making play after play, the crowd got into it, and that energy just feeds off one another. They got us the ball back and we capitalized.”
Jefferson said the team’s mentality never changed despite trailing early.
“We weren’t looking at the scoreboard or worrying about the time left,” he said. “We just kept executing and kept fighting.”
One of Jefferson’s biggest plays came on his first touchdown reception, a deep ball on a free play after a defensive penalty. He said the score perfectly illustrated the trust he wants quarterbacks to have in him.
“A free play? Throw it up to Justin,” Jefferson said with a smile. “That’s more of a 70-30 ball than a 50-50 ball.”
Jefferson said he immediately recognized the free-play situation and trusted Wentz to give him a chance downfield.
“It was on the money. He trusted me to go make a play, and that’s exactly what happened.”
While Jefferson was heavily involved offensively, he noted Minnesota’s receiving corps has yet to fully showcase its potential.
“I was telling Jordan (Addison) and Jauan (Jennings) that our whole receiving group really hasn’t been exposed yet,” Jefferson said. “Once our offense comes full circle and gets into full motion, I don’t really see anybody guarding us or stopping us.”
Despite the impressive comeback and his individual highlights, Jefferson emphasized that the focus quickly shifts to the next challenge: another NFC North matchup on the road against Chicago.
“It was a great team win, but it’s on to the next,” Jefferson said. “We’re definitely going to celebrate this one today, but we have another division opponent next week. We’ve got to clean up the mistakes and be ready to go.”