Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season is underway and the Minnesota Vikings will play their first game on Sunday afternoon against Daniel Jones and the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The Vikings will have a new look on offense and defense this year with both sides losing some key contributors from the previous year. Superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson will be back in the lineup but will be catching passes from Sam Darnold instead of Kirk Cousins, who is now with the Atlanta Falcons.
5 bold predictions for Justin Jefferson in Vikings Week 1 game vs. Giants
With a new quarterback, it is hard to know what the chemistry will be like for the team, but expectations will still be high for the superstar pass-catcher who signed a major contract extension this offseason.
Here are five bold predictions for Justin Jefferson in Week 1.
1. Justin Jefferson will score the first receiving touchdown of the season for the Vikings.
Sam Darnold and Justin Jefferson may be playing their first regular season game on the same team on Sunday, but the former No. 2 overall pick knows exactly how talented his star wide receiver can create separation and make contested catches,
One of Jefferson's receptions on Sunday will come in the red zone and will be the first passing touchdown of Darnold's Vikings tenure. This catch will help to make experts realize that this quarterback-receiver connection is something to pay attention to this season.
2. Jefferson will be targeted ten times or more.
As previously stated, Sam Darnold would be smart to target Justin Jefferson early and often against the Giants. Last season, Jefferson was targeted ten or more times in seven games and has seen that number of throws come his way 35 times in his 60 games played with Minnesota.
Although the Vikings will also be using Jefferson to create opportunities for other pass-catchers, it would be absolutely silly for Sam Darnold not to look to his most dynamic weapon early and often in Week 1.
3. He will catch seven or more passes.
The Giants' defense will be keying in on Jefferson in this game, but the 25-year-old phenom is one of those players who might be nearly impossible to shut out completely. He will get receptions; the only question is how many.
Jefferson caught seven or more passes in 30 of his 60 career games with Minnesota but only accomplished that feat seven times in 2023. Expect him to kick off his fifth NFL season with a solid showing against New York.
4. He will not surpass 100 receiving yards.
While Justin Jefferson will get looks and catch passes, the yardage total might not reach the crazy numbers some fans might hope for. Some of his best highlights came on big plays that gained massive yardage, but that won't happen in Week 1.
Since Jefferson is known for being able to gain yards after the catch, expect the Giants to keep defenders deep to slow down the elusive wide receiver and attempt to limit the damage one on receptions.
5. Justin Jefferson will break out a great Jersey-size Griddy in a Vikings win.
What fun would an article about Justin Jefferson be if it doesn't mention his celebratory dance? The Griddy is a celebration dance that caught the world by storm and you can expect the former LSU standout to hit the move again on Sunday.
However, when taking on a team from the Big Apple, it's time to kick things up a notch. Expect Jefferson to break out one of the most enthusiastic Griddy celebrations on his way to a Minnesota Vikings Week 1 victory.