The Minnesota Vikings were dealt a pretty brutal blow this week when superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson suffered an ankle injury and was placed on injured reserve, meaning he will miss at least the next four weeks. But head coach Kevin O’Connell sounds like he’s trying to remain optimistic.
During his press conference on Wednesday, Kevin O’Connell claimed that the Vikings have plenty of weapons on the offense that can step up in the absence of Justin Jefferson.
“We’ve got to change the way we look at it and we’ve got to get back to making sure that we have sound plays versus the looks we think we’re going to get,” O’Connell said according to Pro Football Talk. “Give our guys, our playmakers — which we feel like we have plenty, even losing the best receiver in football. We still are really excited about Jordan Addison, K.J. Osborn’s been ultra consistent, T.J. Hockenson, there’s a reason why he’s here, and we’ll continue to build things on all downs to keep him involved, and then how does C.J. Ham or Josh Oliver or Johnny Mundt or Brandon Powell — how do those guys fit in in their complementary roles, where they can really, really see some premier opportunities.”
It’s true that the Vikings do have plenty of playmakers outside of Jefferson, but when a team suddenly loses a player who is widely considered the top wide receiver in the league, it’s safe to expect a bit of a drop-off in offensive production.
