Getty Justin Jefferson #18 of the Minnesota Vikings.
Minnesota Vikings superstar Justin Jefferson is taking new ownership of his offense since the departure of Kirk Cousins — urging Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy to have more confidence in throwing him the ball.
In a September 5 Minnesota Star Tribune feature, Jefferson showed the same support to his new cast of quarterbacks that he did with Cousins throughout his first four seasons in the league.
But now the highest-paid player on the team, Jefferson has a new stature in the locker room and called for his quarterbacks to have even more confidence throwing the ball than Cousins — and most importantly, trust him.
“It’s going to be different. But I want it to be the same for them to have the confidence in me to go and make a play, just like Kirk did in those opportunities and those situations,” Jefferson said. “I low-key want them to have more confidence than what Kirk had. Kirk is more comfortable in the system, [with] him running it early on in Washington. It’s just to give them an extra boost and extra confidence; I want to go up and make a play for them whenever they give me the chance.”
Sam Darnold’s Past Struggles Should Entice Vikings’ Justin Jefferson
GettyVikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) during a preseason matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders
Transitioning to Darnold this season, the Vikings have the opposite issue they had with Cousins throughout the past six years.
Initially, Cousins was risk-averse, often maligned for his checkdowns. While stats and analytics found no dramatic difference in his checkdown rate compared to the rest of the league, Cousins did outgrow some of his conservative tendencies with the ball under Kevin O’Connell.
Now, O’Connell has the opposite problem with Darnold, who has a reputation for taking too many shots downfield and creating turnover-worthy plays throughout his six-year career.
It’s possibly a byproduct of Darnold playing for bad teams where there’s an inclination to play hero ball.
O’Connell has encouraged Darnold to play within the season this season, given he’s surrounded by the most offensive talent he’s had in his career.
Whether Darnold can limit the erratic decision-making and take chances at the right moment will define the Vikings season.
Confidence is no issue with Darnold who is accustomed to throwing caution to the wind, but Jefferson’s presence should allow him to feel more comfortable when he swings big.
Vikings Are Road Favorites Over Giants in Week 1
GettyVikings coach Kevin O’Connell
The Vikings open the 2024 season as 1.5-point favorites over the New York Giants, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
There is skepticism surrounding Darnold, who is on his fourth team since being drafted No. 3 overall in 2018. He graded as the 27th-ranked starting quarterback in NFL.com’s QB Index for Week 1.
However, the Vikings’ offense should help Darnold in his first start against a porous Giants defense that allowed the seventh-most points (23.9 points per game) last season.
The last time these two teams met was in the 2022 NFC wild-card round, which ended in a 31-24 Giants win where Cousins checked down to T.J. Hockenson on fourth down to end the game.
Daniel Jones received a four-year, $160 million contract extension the following offseason that has yet to pay dividends. The Giants are coming off a 6-11 season last year after losing Jones to an ACL injury in Week 9. They were 2-7 before the injury.
Ranked the worst starting quarterback on NFL.com’s QB Index, Jones is also helming an offense that lost Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley to the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency. Devin Singletary is expected to be the team’s lead back to start the season.
Meanwhile, the Vikings’ backfield saw a boost with the addition of former Green Bay Packers star Aaron Jones, who should help sustain drives and take the weight off an improved Vikings defense.
Trevor Squire is a sports journalist covering the NFL and NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Timberwolves and Milwaukee Bucks. Trevor studied journalism at the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities, making stops at the Star Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press. You can reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @trevordsquire. More about Trevor Squire
