The Minnesota Vikings are about to get some major help in Week 14 as they look to make a run to get into the NFC playoffs. Justin Jefferson is set to return to the field after missing an extended amount of time due to injury. Finally, the offense will have it’s best player back on the field and his return gives the team hope of making a run in the final five weeks.
Jefferson was only able to play in five games before going down with the injury. He caught 36 passes for 571 yards and three touchdowns in those appearances.
Any time a team gets a player like Jefferson back from injury, they get a lot better. His presence alone will make things much more difficult on opposing defenses. He will also take a lot of pressure off of quarterback Josh Dobbs and provide Dobbs with an elite No. 1 weapon.
Coming into this week, the question has been, how will Jefferson be utilized since this is his first game in quite some time?
Vikings Coach Reveals Bold Game-Plan For Justin Jefferson
Thankfully, head coach Kevin O’Connell was willing to reveal his plan for his superstar wide receiver. He made it clear that he expects Jefferson to be a full go for this week’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
“I don’t see any restrictions as far as his ability to go out there and function and play. He feels great. Had a great week of preparation. We’ll take a look at … the volume of snaps. I mean, this is a guy that, since I’ve been here, has been pretty hard to keep off the field.”
While he may be monitored very closely, it doesn’t sound like the Vikings are going into this game with any kind of set snap count in mind. That alone is a massive update on how Jefferson is doing.
Jefferson was never going to make his return to the field if he wasn’t feeling 100 percent. He has protected himself from the risk of re-injury to the best of his ability. As long as he’s feeling good and doesn’t suffer any kind of setback, he’s going to be on the field.
Minnesota knows how important the next few games are. They are currently the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoff picture, but there are quite a few teams battling for those last couple spots. Any kind of losing streak would likely knock the Vikings out of the playoff race.
Looking at the next few weeks, the Vikings are set to take on the Raiders in Las Vegas this week, then they will face the Bengals in Cincinnati, the Lions at home, the Packers at home, and the Lions in Detroit. That is not an easy schedule and it features three divisional rivalry games.
Make sure to tune in this week to see Jefferson make his return to the field. You can watch the game at 4:05 p.m. EST on FOX.