Justin Jefferson faces another lockdown corner in London
“I think he had about eight or nine total snaps in the game where he didn’t have some variation of a double,” Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said about star wide receiver Justin Jefferson’s rough game against the Lions on Sunday.
Safe to say the last two weeks have not been great for Jefferson, who was marked all over the Philadelphia field by Darius Slay and then against Detroit was tracked by a finally-healthy Jeff Okudah, who if you'll recall was the third overall pick in the 2020 draft.
Jefferson's nine catches for 62 yards the last two weeks is barely a third of his 184-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Packers in Week 1.
In those games he was not only facing elite corners, but double and triple teams. His game against the Lions netted the lowest Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade of his career.According PFF, Okudah allowed Jefferson just two catches for nine yards.
The blueprint to slow down Jefferson has been created, so it's up to the Vikings to find a hole in those plans. But if the Saints follow the blueprint in London, it likely means Marshon Lattimore will be Jefferson's shadow at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Considering how opposing receivers did against Lattimore the first three weeks of the season, it could be another difficult day for Jefferson.
Through three games, Lattimore is the 16th highest-graded cornerback by PFF. He's has been targeted a mere seven times, allowing just three catches and 23 yards. That's the fewest yards allowed by any starting cornerback in the NFL.
Quarterbacks throwing in his direction have a passer rating of 51.5, which is the equivalent of every QB challenging Lattimore posting Justin Fields-like numbers.
Actually, that's a lie. Fields has an unsightly 38.0 passing grade at PFF, by far the worst in the NFL this season. For comparison, Kirk Cousins ranks 8th at 71.5 and Jalen Hurts is No. 1 at 88.2.
Last season, Lattimore led NFL with 18 pass breakups, though he did allow seven touchdowns in his coverage. He can be beaten, but he's very capable of making life very miserable for receivers.
The Saints have allowed the fifth-fewest passing yards (551) and own PFF's No. 6 coverage grade (72.9), though they are one of only three teams yet to record an interception.
Related: Matthew Coller: How does the Vikings' offense need to evolve?
Related: Brian Murphy: Vikings owe no apologies for ugly win
