In the second quarter, Jefferson achieved a significant milestone with a 4-yard reception on a critical third-and-1 play, bringing his total yardage to 5,002.
Shortly thereafter, he added another 30 yards, but unfortunately, the ball was dislodged from his grasp just before reaching the end zone at the 1-yard line. Initially, officials ruled that the ball had gone out of bounds before crossing the goal line pylon. However, upon review, it was determined that the ball had indeed crossed the pylon before going out of bounds.
This turn of events resulted in a touchback for Philadelphia, who swiftly capitalized on it by driving 37 yards in just 34 seconds to score a 61-yard field goal, giving the Eagles a 13-7 lead at halftime.
Jefferson had been the target of Minnesota’s first two offensive plays, making an impressive diving catch for a 15-yard gain on the first play and gaining a yard in a challenging reception in traffic on the second.
Entering his fourth professional season, Jefferson had already accumulated 4,825 career receiving yards, the most of any player since 2020. His Week 1 performance added 150 yards to his tally, bringing him to 4,975 yards as he headed into Week 2.
Unfortunately, turnovers plagued the Vikings during their game in Philadelphia, with Jefferson’s fumble during the second quarter being a particularly costly one. This turnover occurred as Jefferson reached for the end zone at the end of a 30-yard reception. The Eagles took possession at their own 20-yard line after the ball went out of bounds in the end zone. At that point, the Eagles were leading 10-7 and would go on to extend their lead to 27-7 before the Vikings mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter.
While Jefferson played a key role in the Vikings’ late-game efforts and finished the night with an impressive 11 catches for 159 yards, he was deeply remorseful for the fumble and took responsibility for it when speaking to reporters after the game. He emphasized his commitment to preventing such mistakes in the future.
The Vikings struggled with turnovers throughout the game, committing four in total, and now have a total of six turnovers in their first two games. It is clear that rectifying these issues will require a collective effort from the team as they strive for victory in the upcoming weeks.
Read More:
