Justin Jefferson has accomplished so much in the NFL since being selected by the Minnesota Vikings 22nd overall back in the 2020 NFL Draft. The only thing still missing on his resumé is postseason success.
The Vikings fought for the NFC North title until the regular-season finale last year, where they were beaten by the Detroit Lions, who not only won the NFC North, but also the top overall seed in the NFC. Meanwhile, the Vikings had to settle for the fifth seed as a wild card team despite finishing 14-3, and suffered a 27-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the wildcard.
In a recent interview with Jason Fitz of Yahoo Sports, Jefferson is still miffed about those playoffs. But he is blaming the current playoff format, in which he believes wild card teams with better records should have home-field advantage in the playoffs (6:52 in the below interview).
“With the season that we had last year, to go and play away, it definitely was a little different," Jefferson said. "It definitely needs to go into consideration and something that we need to figure out because having 14 wins, normally doesn’t go to play away in the playoffs.”
Justin Jefferson is bitter for wrong reasons over Vikings' playoff losses
Many will remember that the game, originally scheduled for SoFi Stadium, was relocated to Arizona due to wildfires engulfing the Los Angeles area. The Rams were dealing with much more significant issues than football, so while technically a road game for Minnesota, the neutral-site setting hardly resembled a hostile environment.
Jefferson’s frustration is understandable. A 14-3 regular season record, a top-tier offense, and a defense that showed flashes of dominance. But when it mattered most, the Vikings looked unprepared, emotionally flat, and completely outclassed. Jefferson had five catches for 58 yards, but no touchdowns in the game. One could certainly argue that his former quarterback, Sam Darnold, was the bigger culprit for Minnesota's struggles and Jefferson's mediocre production.
Blaming the venue or the seeding doesn’t change the fact that Minnesota looked like a team that didn’t belong. And Jefferson’s comments, while emotionally charged, only reinforce the perception that he and the Vikings lack the mental toughness needed to win in the postseason, as he is now 0-2 in the playoffs.
Until Jefferson stops looking for excuses, there will be more postseason heartbreak in the future for him and the Vikings.