Minnesota Vikings star wide receiver Justin Jefferson hasn't exactly been putting up monster numbers in the team's last two wins, including Sunday's eight-point victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
Despite Jefferson's recent stats not being at the level where they typically are, it doesn't mean he hasn't enjoyed watching the success of his teammates during the last few weeks, especially fellow Minnesota receiver Jalen Nailor.
In Sunday's win over the Cowboys, Nailor put together an impressive performance with three catches for 47 yards and two touchdowns. Following the victory, Jefferson expressed how much he enjoyed watching his teammate play so well in the matchup.
"I love it. I love to see him bloom and to perform the way we all knew he [could] perform.
I mean, he's been getting open all season. He's been winning those one-on-one matchups, and when his opportunities come, he knows how to make the most of them.
So, I'm proud of him. I'm proud to see one of my guys in the group go off, and it definitely was his time coming."
Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson struggling to connect with QB J.J. McCarthy on the field
As enjoyable as it has been to watch J.J. McCarthy take his performance up a notch during the Vikings' last two games, the second-year quarterback has still struggled to get on the same page as Jefferson.
After McCarthy only connected with Minnesota's No. 1 receiver twice in the team's Week 14 win over the Washington Commanders, the duo only connected on two passes once again during Sunday's matchup in Dallas.
It's not like McCarthy hasn't been targeting Jefferson. In the last two games, the Vikings' quarterback has thrown to Jefferson 12 times, but the All-Pro receiver has only come away with catches on just four of those targets.
In Minnesota's last two matchups, McCarthy has a 7.6 passer rating when targeting Jefferson (which includes a target that resulted in a Cowboys interception on Sunday) and a 130.7 passer rating when targeting any other Vikings players.
Considering Minnesota is paying its No. 1 pass-catcher an average of $35 million per season until 2028, this is something that absolutely needs to change.
The Vikings have three matchups left on their 2025 schedule, and if Jefferson's numbers continue to look like they have in his last two games, then the team is going to have a lot of unwanted questions to answer in the upcoming offseason.