On Sunday, it was clear Jefferson had the connection with Darnold to counter how the Seahawks wanted to defend him.
And the 39-yard score, Darnold said, was the result of the skills the Vikings’ defense forces him and Jefferson to practice. The range of the Vikings’ coverages means Darnold and Jefferson spend plenty of time trying to decipher coverage together and make sure they’re seeing things the same way. O’Connell said Sunday he wants Darnold and Jefferson “to have some freedom in those moments, especially,” to extrapolate beyond a play design based on what they’re getting from defenses.
Their adjustments, though, aren’t backyard football. Their practice time is spent making sure Jefferson can adjust his route to a coverage without Darnold having to scrap the timing of a play.
“It’s got to be something where there’s freedom and there’s some nuances to Justin being able to do the things he does, but at the same time, it’s got to fit with the progression and the eyes of the quarterback,” O’Connell said Monday.
“And that’s where we’ve tried to grow. Whether it’s a core concept and we’re just making little tweaks to it, or it’s a brand-new concept for the week, nothing doesn’t go through the filter of, ‘Is this going to be playable?’ Because that’s my number one pet peeve: to go back to that moment and say, with the clicker [reviewing the film] this morning, ‘Hey, why didn’t you throw it here or there?’ I just don’t believe in that.”