The Minnesota Vikings had a busy Monday, dealing with Josh Oliver’s torn biceps and the trade that sent J.J. McCarthy to the New York Giants. But the biggest news came when NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Justin Jefferson avoided a significant injury to his right ankle after leaving Sunday’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
According to Rapoport, Jefferson, who left Sunday’s game in the first quarter, has an ankle sprain but “avoided anything long-term.” Rapoport also added that there is a “chance he plays Sunday” in Week 4 against the Miami Dolphins, while Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell also told reporters that they will monitor his workload as the swelling goes down this week.
But for all the positive developments, this may be a moment to exercise caution and resist the temptation of playing Jefferson against a team the Vikings should be able to beat handily on Sunday.
Vikings offense could get a much-needed boost without playing Justin Jefferson
The Vikings could use Jefferson, considering what happened to their offense after he left the game in the first quarter.
Jefferson caught a pair of early targets for 32 yards, but those catches represented almost 20 percent of Kyler Murray’s passing yardage for the game as he finished completing 15-of-29 passes for 168 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.
Minnesota’s running attack was also battling uphill against a Tampa Bay defense that ranks second in the NFL, allowing 76.0 rushing yards per game, and is further shorthanded after Oliver left the game with an injury in the fourth quarter.
With Jordan Mason still on injured reserve with a thumb fracture, getting Jefferson back as the epicenter of the Vikings' offense is a good thing. But they may not need it, considering how much the Dolphins have struggled this year.
Miami has dropped each of its first three games, getting outscored by its opponents by a combined score of 86-36. As if things couldn’t get worse, the Dolphins will be without star running back De’Von Achane, who was diagnosed with a torn ACL after leaving Sunday’s 24-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
With a passing defense that’s allowing an NFL-high 9.1 net yards per attempt, it could be a good opportunity for Murray and the Vikings offense to get back on track. But the Vikings may not need Jefferson for that to happen.
Vikings will need Justin Jefferson to be healthy for upcoming gauntlet
Since the Dolphins are struggling, it may make more sense to allow Jefferson to recover and have him return for a tougher matchup in Week 5 against the New Orleans Saints, rather than risk injury against a team that is toward the bottom of the NFL standings after three weeks.
In addition, the Vikings' schedule coming out of the bye is a tough one. After hosting the Indianapolis Colts in Week 7, Minnesota will visit the Detroit Lions in Week 8 before a Week 9 matchup against the Buffalo Bills.
A trip to visit the Green Bay Packers team that will likely have Micah Parsons back awaits in Week 10, and the tough stretch ends as the Vikings travel to Mexico City to battle the San Francisco 49ers.
For a Vikings team that believes there’s plenty of growth on offense, they’ll need Jefferson to see that visit through. Even if he makes progress over the week, it might be best to keep him on ice for a week and turn him loose in Week 5 or even after the team’s Week 6 bye.
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