The people on Pro Football Focus Are busy arranging everything they can imagine while we all wait for football to start again. Their newest ranking is for ‘safety blankets WRs, or recipients with the highest target speed when the QB is put under pressure. The Vikings have a WR in the top 10 list. No prices to guess who it is.
Vikingserritory brings you the safety blanket of the Vikings per Pro Voetbalfocus.
Yes, it is Justin Jefferson, who else? PFF ranks the broad recipients on threat percentage, which, as they explain in their article, is “normal goal interest rates based on the number of routes that the player runs.” Jefferson is number five on the list of a threat rate of 19.2%. Drake London is at the top of the list of a threat percentage of 21.1%, and the rest of the top five was made up by Ladd McConkey (20.8%), Zay Flowers (20%) and Courtland Sutton (19.7%).
You guessed it – Justin Jefferson is the safety blanket of the Vikings
It will not surprise anyone that Sam Darnold turned to Jefferson when he was in trouble last season, just like Kirk Cousins did, and JJ McCarthy will certainly do this season. You go to Jefferson if you are in trouble, because if you give him half a chance, there is every chance that he will come down with the ball, even if the pass is not perfect.
The statistics propagate that as PFF explained, starting with last season:
Jefferson is one of the best of the NFL when Pass Rushers gave up his quarterback, in the top three in different statistics last season. He caught 31 of the 49 under pressure goals for 540 yards and 16 explosive profits (all top-two brands). He moved the chains 25 times (second most), won 116 meters after the catch (the most third) and led the position with five touchdowns. In total, Jefferson earned an 88.2 PFF reception figure when his quarterback was put under pressure (second best).
Darnold’s rise from no-hops to Pro Bowler last season had plenty to do with himself and Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell. It also helps enormously if you have a man from Jefferson’s monumental talents who can help you get from a difficult place. With the interior -offensive line of Minnesota last season, there were many difficult places where Darinold was in.
Jefferson Rescue does nothing new
Vikings fans are used to seeing Jefferson to see the wonderful. It’s what he does. The statistics for his assets on under pressure goals date from the assessment of pff in the past three seasons.
No recipient has seen pressure in the past three seasons (135), and Jefferson has converted those opportunities into figures in the first place in catches (83), receiving yards (1,643) and PFF reception figure (92.3). He also won 50 first downs (second most), 10 touchdown passes (second most) caught and 49 explosive profit (most), while on average 5.8 yards after the catch per reception (sixth best).
These are incredible statistics, with only Cincinnati Bengals broad recipient and former college teammate of Jefferson, Ja’marr Chase, the only other man who comes close to those figures. During that period, Chase 1,000 receiving yards registered with double digits of touchdowns under pressure situations. As with most things at WR, Jefferson and Chase are free from the peloton.
There is a lot of talent in the Vikings attack with people like Aaron Jones, TJ Hockenson and Jordan Addison. Looking for Jefferson If you are in trouble with a defender who holds up, is never a bad idea. Expect the Wideout of the Vikings to remain at the top of these statistics and the safety blanket of the Vikings will remain.
Proud UK Viking. Family man. Enjoy writing about my team. Away from football an advocate for autism acceptance.
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