Addison’s eight catches Sunday produced a red-zone touchdown and five first downs, three of them on third down and one of those in the red zone. Coverage schemes designed to focus on Jefferson had a direct impact on six of those catches, including the 45- and 69-yarders, a 7-yard catch on third-and-5 at the Chicago 10, a touchdown on first-and-goal from the 2, and a 12-yard catch on third-and-10 on the game-winning drive in overtime.
“Justin impacts all our catches,” Addison said. “All of them.”
Nailor agrees. His 5-yard touchdown was set up first by Jefferson’s 35-yard pass interference penalty and then by what essentially was a triple team on Jefferson in the end zone that left Nailor as a wide-open checkdown option at the 5.
“I was [cornerback] Jaylon Johnson’s responsibility, but he’s thinking Sam is going to Justin on the corner route so he’s trying to play both of us, thinking he can bait Sam into making that throw and jumping it,” Nailor said. “Sam read it perfectly and made my touchdown happen. But it doesn’t happen without Justin being Justin.”
Jones knows that feeling. The former Packer and first-year Viking was lined up as a receiver alongside Jefferson to the right of the formation on a key third-and-13 situation late in regulation. Backup Nick Mullens was at quarterback as Darnold missed two plays because of a foot injury.
The ball was snapped and linebacker T.J Edwards, the guy responsible for Jones, doubled Jefferson instead.