Justin Jefferson says he needs to get back into ‘savage mode’ for Vikings

Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson said he needs to get “back to my old self.”

Specifically, the year 2022, when he led the league with 128 catches, 1,809 yards and a gravity-defying, one-handed grab in Buffalo that was dubbed the catch of the year.

On the third-year anniversary of the play, Jefferson posted a highlight of that fourth-down catch to his Instagram story on Thursday, writing, “I need to get back to year3 Jets.”

“Mentally, just wanting to get back into that mode,” Jefferson said at a Thursday news conference. “I like to say savage mode. … Just going out there and just killing it and not worrying about the plays, not worrying about anything else I can’t control. Doing everything I can control and making the most of my opportunities.

“I felt like I was on a different level,” he added. “Just try to work back into that.”

Jefferson is still trying to find his connection with quarterback J.J. McCarthy entering their fifth game together Sunday against the Bears. The All-Pro receiver is averaging 76.2 yards per game this season (his career-low 87.5 came as a rookie in 2020), and that drops to a 52-yard average in the four games with McCarthy.

Jefferson’s frustration showed in last week’s loss to the Ravens, when he caught four of 12 targets for 37 yards. He was targeted on two interceptions, including one in which he fell after getting his feet tangled with Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey. He also dropped a possible 25-yard touchdown on one of McCarthy’s better throws of the afternoon.

“There was some frustration,” O’Connell said, “and maybe with not having a couple calls go his way from a referee standpoint, but that’s all part of the game.

“He’s so competitive. But I have no concerns with Justin.”

This season, Jefferson has yet to have a 100-yard receiving game in the United States, since his two 100-yard outings came in the Week 4 loss to the Steelers in Dublin and in the Week 5 victory over the Browns in London.

His frustration is born out of losing, Jefferson clarified.

“I want to win,” he said. “Emotionally, things get heated sometimes. Things weren’t going our way in that moment. Just wanted a better outcome. Of course, the offense we have, I feel like we should be better than what we are.”

“Um, life,” Jefferson said. “Just different things going on in my life and just wanting to get back to that kid phase of loving — I still love football, but overly loving football and overly loving just being out there on Sundays.”

Also different for Jefferson this season is his role as an elder to his quarterback. Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold are both older than him.

Jefferson said he takes it upon himself to motivate and uplift McCarthy because of “the negativity out in the world.”

“Continue to have that confidence and don’t really overthink,” Jefferson said, “even though things are not going the greatest for us and we’re still figuring out some things. ... Because he’s a great player. He’s a great quarterback. He’s a great kid. At the end of the day, it’s about relying on everybody to go out there and do their jobs.”

In the wake of the Ravens loss, McCarthy has taken responsibility for false starts, misfired passes and the relative lack of production with Jefferson. McCarthy is seeking improvement overall after struggling to connect with both Jefferson and Jordan Addison while throwing a season-low 47.6% completion rate.

There’s a different element to playing quarterback with Jefferson, who has a gravitational effect on defensive coverages and often commands the attention of multiple defenders that crowd McCarthy’s throwing lanes.

“J.J. hasn’t played with anyone with as much attention as I’m getting,” Jefferson said. “It takes time to figure those things out. Kirk had to take time to figure that out as well. Sam had to take time figuring that out as well. This job is hard, especially at quarterback.

“The connection will continue to grow,” he said, “but I feel like as long as J.J.’s confidence is still there and he still has that motivation to go out there and lead us and do the things we expect him to do, everything will fall into place.”