Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell has been forced to dig deeper into play designs and game plans to help keep quarterback Sam Darnold and the offense on track.
EAGAN, Minn. — Justin Jefferson might be weary of all the safeties shadowing his every route, determined not to let the Minnesota Vikings go deep, but he’s hardly angry.
The double and triple coverage he continually faces, after all, is a sign of immense respect for his game-breaking ability. The strategy also simply makes sense.
“I would do the same,” Jefferson said. “It’s either let everybody else go off or let Justin go off. I’m going to let everybody else go off. That would be my game plan.”
When the Vikings visit Chicago on Sunday, they expect the usual heavy dose of split-safety coverage designed to put a lid on the passing attack and force them to operate primarily underneath.
“We see that every week: Teams just have different tendencies …