How to Watch, Stream, Listen to Vikings-Bears Week…

As for movement with the Vikings-Bears, keep an eye on Justin Jefferson throughout Minnesota’s formations.

The Vikings can line Jefferson up in the slot, on the outside and even in the backfield.

Offensive Coordinator Klint Kubiak credited Jefferson’s skill set and his mental aptitude to handle playing from so many places while producing.

“We put a lot on him, move him to a lot of different spots,” Kubiak said. “He’s really taken that challenge and run with it. He studies hard. You’ve got to move him around because teams are always going to be keying on him.”

Jefferson played primarily on the outside as a sophomore and did most of his damage from the slot in 2019. Although he put up 111 catches for 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns at LSU in 2019, some believe that role could have helped him fall to the Vikings at the 22nd overall spot.

Turns out Minnesota got the best of both, and rather than a seasonal split of locations, Jefferson is making plays all over the field. He has 85 receptions, 1,288 yards and eight scores this season. The use of Jefferson in the backfield and then in motion helped clear a broad avenue for Dalvin Cook on a long run against Pittsburgh in Week 14.

“It’s always good to be versatile, being able to be in the slot, being outside. That just helps me out with different cloud coverages, being bracketed, being double teamed,” Jefferson said. “Being able to motion, move to different spots allows me to escape the double teams, escape the cloud coverage. Doing that is definitely good for my game, being versatile. Me being able to switch in college from outside to slot definitely helped me out now, just knowing how to run those slot routes and read the coverages, read the zones, especially with the linebackers and safeties.”