![\"Vikings\u2019](\"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/justin-jefferson-minnesota-vikings.jpg\")
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Moreover, Jefferson is coming off back-to-back performances in which he hasn\u2019t even hit 50 or more receiving yards. The Vikings star is in the middle of his prime years, and he\u2019s posted 1,400 or more receiving yards in four of his five NFL seasons. However, it doesn\u2019t appear that he will hit 1,400-plus receiving yards this campaign.<\/p>\n
Amid the struggles, NBC Sports NFL insider Mike Florio shared a blunt assessment on why Jefferson is struggling this season.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m struggling here to get the right words because I love Justin Jefferson, and I think he\u2019s awesome, and I think he can get back to that,\u201d Florio said on the November 14 edition of \u201cPro Football Talk Live.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut part of me is thinking maybe the other guys are just better now. Maybe it\u2019s not like we\u2019re going to flip a switch. Maybe they\u2019ve 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe possible explanations are that guy doesn\u2019t work here anymore. You\u2019re not that guy anymore. You\u2019re not going to be that guy again. We\u2019ve seen candles burn very brightly and then not\u2026 It\u2019s only Year 6. But if I\u2019m looking at all the potential explanations, one of them is the competition has gotten better. And maybe it\u2019s because he\u2019s not the guy he was three years ago for whatever reason.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Jefferson\u2019s 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\u2019t translated to McCarthy.<\/p>\n
As a result, NBC Sports\u2019 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a great receiver, and I think most great receivers say, \u2018Just throw me the ball, I can make any quarterback look good,\u2019 but [the Vikings have had] a lot of change [at quarterback] in the last three years,\u201d Holley said. \u201cAnd I think that has affected him, too. He was being nice about J.J. McCarthy [saying], \u2018He\u2019s a great player.\u2019 No, he\u2019s not.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe might become one, but he\u2019s not playing like a great player right now and maybe he doesn\u2019t know how to get you the ball the way you really want it. Maybe he doesn\u2019t fully understand what you\u2019re capable of. He\u2019s trying, but he\u2019s still too green to figure out what he has in Justin Jefferson. It\u2019s a tough spot. I think he\u2019s just as frustrated as AJ Brown, but he\u2019s expressing it in a different way.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wouldn\u2019t say I lost it, but of course it\u2019s a little bit difficult when teams play me the way they have been playing me,\u201d Jefferson said. \u201cI don\u2019t have those one-on-one coverages as much as I used to, and that\u2019s probably why I missed \u2018Year 3 Jets,\u2019 because I\u2019m 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles will go head-to-head during \u201cSunday Night Football\u201d on November 16, and it\u2019s 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\u2019 7-2 record.<\/p>\n
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\u2019 practice report. It would have been a huge blow to the defense to have Hutchinson out.<\/p>\n
But, when it comes to the rest of the Lions\u2019 injury report that was shared on Friday, November 14, there\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
LaPorta\u2019s injury came as a surprise, because he didn\u2019t seem injured in Week 10, but he hasn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a good thing Hutchinson is back, because his numbers are a huge part of the Lions\u2019 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
During the Lions\u2019 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.<\/p>\n
When asked about the decision, he made it clear and Morton was on board. \u201cListen, John Morton\u2019s all team. That\u2019s all he cares about,\u201d Campbell said. \u201cHe just wants to win. He wants to be a part of it. He wants to help where he can, and he was outstanding today.\u201d<\/p>\n
Campbell added, \u201cHe\u2019s a grinder, he\u2019s a worker, and he just tries to help and give you anything you can possibly need for the game. Look, if you\u2019re him, of course it probably doesn\u2019t feel too good, but he\u2019s also a pro and he understands everything, so we move on.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Moreover, Jefferson is coming off back-to-back performances in which he hasn\u2019t even hit 50 or more receiving yards. The Vikings star is in the middle of his prime years, and he\u2019s posted…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11209,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11210","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hot-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t