There isn’t a doubt how Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson feels about his workforce’s 40-3 loss Sunday to the Dallas Cowboys.
Talking Monday to native reporters, Jefferson known as the loss “embarrassing” and “a catastrophe throughout.” He then made clear that coach Kevin O’Connell and his employees ought to have adjusted the passing sport to counteract the Cowboys’ fierce cross rush. Finally, quarterback Kirk Cousins was sacked a career-high seven occasions, together with twice by NFL Defensive Participant of the Yr candidate Micah Parsons, and was pressured on 63% of his dropbacks.
“It is powerful with Kirk getting sacked earlier than you are even getting out of the break,” Jefferson mentioned. “It is positively being in a troublesome state of affairs, however we have simply obtained to maneuver towards extra fast sport, getting the ball out faster, placing the ball in area and letting individuals work, simply issues we have to alter on simply all through the sport. If issues usually are not figuring out the best way we deliberate, then we have to discover a solution to alter and go towards one thing that may work higher for us. We simply cannot proceed to maintain doing the identical factor all through the sport regardless that it is not working. However we have got to be higher as a complete workforce. It is good as a result of we now have an opportunity to try this in three days.”
Certainly, the Vikings will host the New England Patriots on Thursday night time at U.S. Financial institution Stadium. They’re 8-2 in O’Connell’s first yr, and Jefferson is off to the perfect begin of his profession. However he caught solely three passes for 33 yards Sunday and pointedly known as the game-long points in cross safety a “lesson realized.”
“I imply, in fact I want we had adjusted quicker all through the sport,” Jefferson mentioned. “Getting the ball out faster, not letting Micah Parsons and the remainder of that D-line get an opportunity to get again there to Kirk. So it is simply issues we have to study from. This can be a new workforce. This can be a new teaching employees. We’ve got new gamers on this workforce. We’re all nonetheless studying one another. We’re nonetheless all studying tips on how to play with one another.
“It is only a lesson realized. Similar to [after a Week 2 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles], it was a lesson realized that week. So it is simply all through the season, we’re studying issues about one another, studying methods to win. And it is all going to end up higher for us later within the season after we get to the playoffs and we get to that stretch the place we have to win and we have to know what to do and tips on how to change up the plan if issues usually are not going nicely.”
O’Connell mentioned Sunday that he “did not coach nicely sufficient tonight and we obtained outplayed.” He was not obtainable Monday to deal with Jefferson’s particular feedback about shifting to a faster passing sport.
Sunday’s loss got here by the second-highest level differential for a workforce 8-1 or higher within the Tremendous Bowl period, an final result not misplaced on Jefferson.
“I imply, it simply sucks that we misplaced this unhealthy,” he mentioned. “If we simply misplaced by three, seven, 10 factors, it would not be as unhealthy. Individuals lose video games. We’re not anticipated to go undefeated for the remainder of the season. Issues occur. It is the NFL. There’s good groups that we’re taking part in. Nevertheless it’s simply the truth that we misplaced by 37 factors at dwelling. It is simply embarrassing being in that kind of state of affairs and we simply did not play good in all phases. That is what actually killed us and made us act the best way we’re performing now.
“We have simply obtained to get that style out of our mouth. We did not play good in any respect. We simply need to get to Thursday [and] have an opportunity to get that style out of our mouth and play higher.”
