Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson apologized to the fanbase for scaring them during their gigantic comeback win over the Indianapolis Colts.
At halftime, it looked as though the Minnesota Vikings were heading towards an upset loss to the Indianapolis Colts. They did, after all, trail 33-0 at halftime. Not team ever overcame such a deficit in the regular-season. Well, until Dec. 17, 2022, when the Vikings tied the game at 36 points apiece and won 39-36 in overtime on a 40-yard field goal by kicker Greg Joseph.
With the win, the Vikings clinched the NFC North title for the first time since 2017. As the team was celebrating the historic victory, wide receiver Justin Jefferson apologized to the fanbase for scaring them in the first half.
"I know we scared y'all in the first half." 😂@JJettas2 | @Vikings pic.twitter.com/1qhNWu2Pxc
— NFL (@NFL) December 17, 2022
Justin Jefferson apologizes to Vikings fans for huge first half deficit vs. Colts
“I know we scared ya’ll a little in the first half, but stick with us. We’re gonna hold ya’ll on our back and we’re going to fight til the end,” said Jefferson.
We’d venture to say Vikings fans accept his apology. They did, after all, overcome the biggest deficit in NFL history to win the NFC North for the first time in half a decade.
Minnesota’s offense couldn’t do anything in the first half, as they were plagued by errors. From Dalvin Cook’s fumble to Kirk Cousins interception, there wasn’t much confidence heading into the second half. Then, Cousins threw for 417 yards in the second half and overtime alone. It certainly helped that the Colts offense cushion their lead enough to prevent a Vikings comeback.
We know how that ended.
Jefferson had a very good game against the Colts. He matched up against Indianapolis’ top cornerback in Stephon Gilmore on 37-of-57 routes run, and caught 6-of-8 targets for 57 yards and one touchdown, per NFL Next Gen Stats.
Stephon Gilmore aligned across from Justin Jefferson on 37 of his 57 routes in Week 15.
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) December 17, 2022
Jefferson caught 6 of 8 targets for 57 yards & a TD with Gilmore in coverage, the 2nd-most receptions Gilmore has allowed to a single receiver in a game since 2016.#INDvsMIN | #Skol pic.twitter.com/vnXQDGC34z
Overall, Jefferson caught 12-of-16 targets for 123 yards and one touchdown.
With the division title clinched, the Vikings will look to use their final three games of the season to clinch the No. 2 seed in the NFC.