Minnesota Vikings superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson played for arguably the best team in college football history, and he sees significant similarities in his present team.
LSU went 15–0 in 2019 and won a national title amid a dominating 48.4 points per game and 21.9 points allowed per contest. Fresh off a 27–24 comeback win over the Seattle Seahawks (8–7), the Vikings (13–2) are gearing up for a shot at the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs and possible Super Bowl run.
Jefferson was more than happy to compare the two teams.
“Not just what we’re doing out there on the field, but the way we carry ourselves, the way we treat each other. ... In 2019, when I won a championship at LSU, it was the same type of vibe,” Jefferson told reporters. “The team is just together, fighting for one another every single game. It definitely feels the same.”
As much as LSU dominated in 2019, the Tigers had close calls such as a 23–20 win over Auburn followed by a 46–41 win over Alabama in the heart of the SEC schedule. Amid the Vikings’ eight-game winning streak, the team has five one-score wins. Minnesota also overcame back-to-back losses in less than a week after a 5–0 start.
“We’re coming together,” Jefferson said. “Every single game, we’re finding different ways to overcome adversity. These close games are what make championship teams.”
Sunday marked the first time a Vikings head coach has won 13 games in a season twice. Head coach Kevin O’Connell did it in 2022 when his team won 10 one-score games, but that squad petered out in the playoffs with a 31–21 defeat at home against the New York Giants.
“I think our team understands how we got to this point,” O’Connell told reporters after the win over the Seahawks. “It’s a mature team that can be dangerous, I do believe, if we continue to just understand what got us to this moment from the first day of training camp.”
Nationally, expectations for Minnesota entering training camp were low because the team had a 7–10 record in 2023 and looked to replace former quarterback Kirk Cousins. The Vikings then lost rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy, their No. 9 pick, to an MCL injury, and veteran Sam Darnold stepped up despite a history of minimal success in the league.
Darnold was the New York Jets’ No. 3 pick in 2018 but never panned out. In this turnaround season, he has completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 3,776 yards and 32 touchdowns versus 11 interceptions. Darnold has also rushed for 205 yards and one touchdown.
While it’s hard to compare the Darnold-to-Jefferson connection versus former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow throwing to Jefferson amid 60 touchdown passes overall in 2019, Darnold’s success with Jefferson is getting noticed. Darnold and Jefferson have connected for 10 touchdowns this season, including Sunday’s 39-yard game winner at Seattle.
“I think those guys have just gotten so comfortable with that stuff, that they’re able to execute it like they did, which was maybe the play, absolutely the play of the game, maybe even considering just the moment and the circumstances, the season, as well,” O’Connell said.
Minnesota could have more big plays coming with the Green Bay Packers (10–4) in Week 17 followed by a showdown with the Detroit Lions (13–2), possibly for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The Vikings reached the NFC Championship Game the last time the team had the top seed in 1998.
