How will the Vikings prepare for Lamar Jackson on Sunday?

Two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson will make his 100^th career start on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Kevin O’Connell will be on the other sideline coaching in his 125^th game since Jackson entered the league in 2018.

And yet the two have never met on the field.

That’s both the beauty and curse of being in the NFC while Jackson resides in the AFC.

K.O. isn’t a victim of Jackson’s 24-3 record against the NFC. He’s also never been part of trying to replicate in practice the greatest athlete the NFL has ever seen at quarterback.

Until this week.

With all due respect to rookie Max Brosmer and the undersized John Wolford, who in the heck will O’Connell tap to “play” Jackson on the scout team this week?

“I’m actually going to do it,” joked O’Connell, the former journeyman QB sporting three career rushes for minus-6 yards. “I figure that will give the best look at the athleticism that Lamar has.”

Sorry, K.O., but you’re going to need a faster boat.

Jackson’s legs own 6,353 career rushing yards, a 6.1-yard average and 34 touchdowns. Not too shabby for the guy whose right arm also sits atop the league’s career marks for passer rating (103.5) and average per attempt (8.31).

“There’s a reason why he’s an MVP-caliber player,” O’Connell said. “It’s not just the skillset to cause so many problems athletically, he’s an elite thrower of the football. We’re going to have to be as good as we’ve been all season.”

There isn’t an NFC player who hasn’t watched and wowed at all the things Jackson has done throughout his career. But watching and seeing in person on the same field apparently are two dramatically different things.

The numbers support it, too.

Jackson’s 24-3 record against the NFC includes a 66.3 completion percentage, 50 touchdown passes, nine interceptions, 1,931 yards rushing for a whopping 71.5 per game, and nine rushing touchdowns.

He’s faced the Vikings only one time, in 2021, Mike Zimmer’s last year as Vikings coach. Zim coaxed two picks out of Jackson, but Lamar also stunned the run defense with 120 yards on 21 carries in a 34-31 Ravens win in Baltimore.

“It’s really kind of along the lines, albeit totally different, of how teams that can be phenomenal in college football and then they play against a triple-option team,” O’Connell said of watching vs. playing Jackson. “You just don’t see this a whole lot.”

O’Connell indicated that he wasn’t ready on Monday to say who he’ll use in practice to replicate Jackson.

Whoever they are, O’Connell said he will let the scout team QB play on “long past any whistle I would blow” to signify a sack.

“I want to make sure the guys on the back end are plastering in coverage and understanding that some of the big plays that they make are not how they were drawn up,” O’Connell added.

Jackson and the Ravens started the year 1-3.

Jackson did lose to an NFC team, Detroit, but he also put up 30 points while overcoming seven sacks to throw for 288 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions and a 148.1 passer rating.

The Ravens then went 1-2 while Jackson nursed a hamstring injury. He returned last week, beating the Dolphins 28-6 while testing his hamstring on only five runs for 14 yards in a Thursday night game.

He’s run only 26 times in five games, but even if he doesn’t run, the Vikings also have to prep for a guy who has 14 touchdown passes, one interception and leads the league in passer rating (136.6) and average yards per attempt (11.08).

With whom does a coach try to replicate all that in practice?

When K.O. wouldn’t say which players he might use, he was asked if he was still deciding or if he was just keeping it a secret.

“No, it’s probably something that definitely doesn’t need to be a secret,” O’Connell said. “Because when Baltimore rolls into town it’s not a secret about who’s playing quarterback for them and what he’s capable of.”