Moreover, Jefferson is coming off back-to-back performances in which he hasn’t even hit 50 or more receiving yards. The Vikings star is in the middle of his prime years, and he’s posted 1,400 or more receiving yards in four of his five NFL seasons. However, it doesn’t appear that he will hit 1,400-plus receiving yards this campaign.
Amid the struggles, NBC Sports NFL insider Mike Florio shared a blunt assessment on why Jefferson is struggling this season.
“I’m struggling here to get the right words because I love Justin Jefferson, and I think he’s awesome, and I think he can get back to that,” Florio said on the November 14 edition of “Pro Football Talk Live.”
“But part of me is thinking maybe the other guys are just better now. Maybe it’s not like we’re going to flip a switch. Maybe they’ve figured out how to defend him. Three years later, three years older, three years of wear and tear. I have to force myself to articulate these words, but I think we at least have to account for the possibility.
“The possible explanations are that guy doesn’t work here anymore. You’re not that guy anymore. You’re not going to be that guy again. We’ve seen candles burn very brightly and then not… It’s only Year 6. But if I’m looking at all the potential explanations, one of them is the competition has gotten better. And maybe it’s because he’s not the guy he was three years ago for whatever reason.”
For Jefferson’s first four seasons in the league, he had former Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins passing him the ball, followed by Sam Darnold. Nonetheless, that same success that the wideout had with these veteran quarterbacks hasn’t translated to McCarthy.
As a result, NBC Sports’ Michael Holley stated, in that same segment, that Jefferson is paying the price for the learning process that the young Vikings quarterback is going through in Year 2, which is technically Year 1, considering he missed his rookie season due to injury.
“He’s a great receiver, and I think most great receivers say, ‘Just throw me the ball, I can make any quarterback look good,’ but [the Vikings have had] a lot of change [at quarterback] in the last three years,” Holley said. “And I think that has affected him, too. He was being nice about J.J. McCarthy [saying], ‘He’s a great player.’ No, he’s not.
“He might become one, but he’s not playing like a great player right now and maybe he doesn’t know how to get you the ball the way you really want it. Maybe he doesn’t fully understand what you’re capable of. He’s trying, but he’s still too green to figure out what he has in Justin Jefferson. It’s a tough spot. I think he’s just as frustrated as AJ Brown, but he’s expressing it in a different way.”
Even though defenses keep bracketing and doubling Jefferson, adding to the frustration around the standout receiver, he made it clear that he still enjoys playing for the Vikings.
“I wouldn’t say I lost it, but of course it’s a little bit difficult when teams play me the way they have been playing me,” Jefferson said. “I don’t have those one-on-one coverages as much as I used to, and that’s probably why I missed ‘Year 3 Jets,’ because I’m having a little bit less double coverages and a lot less attention than, of course, now. So I guess you can say that kind of takes away a little bit of the joy, but I still love going out there and playing football.”
The Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles will go head-to-head during “Sunday Night Football” on November 16, and it’s one of those games that just promises to be close and a nail-biter. Both the Lions and Eagles sit atop the NFC, and the Lions have a 6-3 record going into the contest to the Eagles’ 7-2 record.
So, in order to take on the Eagles, the Lions, of course, will need to be healthy. The team delivered some good news on Wednesday, November 13, when defensive end Aidan Hutchinson was back at practice after being listed as DNP due to an elbow injury on the Lions’ practice report. It would have been a huge blow to the defense to have Hutchinson out.
But, when it comes to the rest of the Lions’ injury report that was shared on Friday, November 14, there’s certainly some concerning news. The Detroit Lions are going to have to play near-perfect to overcome some of the obstacles that they have when it comes to injuries.
The Detroit Lions shared an important injury report on Friday, November 14, presented by Henry Ford Health. On it, two key players were ruled out for the Philadelphia Eagles game.
Both Sam LaPorta and Terrion Arnold were ruled out, along with the expected Kerby Joseph and Josh Paschal. Hutchinson is cleared to play on Sunday.
LaPorta’s injury came as a surprise, because he didn’t seem injured in Week 10, but he hasn’t been able to practice all week. So, the Lions will have to get creative on the tight end front. The duties are expected to be divided between Brock Wright and Ross Dwelley, with a third tight end in question.
It’s a good thing Hutchinson is back, because his numbers are a huge part of the Lions’ success on defense this season. Hutchinson has clocked 18 total tackles, 17 quarterback hits, 57 pressures and 38 hurries during the 2025-26 season, according to NFL research. He’s also recorded seven sacks and four forced fumbles. According to research from Pro Football Focus, Hutchinson has also clocked a 91.2 overall grade, which puts him third in the league among 114 graded edge defenders, and a 92.3 pass-rush grade, which is second.
During the Lions’ game against the Washington Commanders on Sunday, November 9, Lions head coach Dan Campbell took over offensive play-calling duties from first-year offensive coordinator John Morton. It remains to be seen if he does that against the Eagles.
When asked about the decision, he made it clear and Morton was on board. “Listen, John Morton’s all team. That’s all he cares about,” Campbell said. “He just wants to win. He wants to be a part of it. He wants to help where he can, and he was outstanding today.”
Campbell added, “He’s a grinder, he’s a worker, and he just tries to help and give you anything you can possibly need for the game. Look, if you’re him, of course it probably doesn’t feel too good, but he’s also a pro and he understands everything, so we move on.”