The Minnesota Vikings can’t seem to catch a break right now. Starting the NFL season 0-2 is dreadful for your postseason aspirations, especially if you lose at home to teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kevin O’Connell’s team wasn’t expected to be as good as it was last season. They let several stars go in the offseason, and most analysts thought last year’s success was kind of fluky anyway.
On top of that, they’ve struggled to take care of the football, turning the ball over seven times in two games. That’s why star wideout Justin Jefferson is blaming himself for costing his team all momentum when he fumbled the ball right before halftime vs. the Philadelphia Eagles.
Justin Jefferson Blames Himself For Loss Vs. Eagles
“I’m putting it a lot on myself,” Jefferson said after the game. “Fumbling in the end zone like that when we need points and we’re driving and having that momentum. I was telling my teammates that’s on me and it won’t happen again.”
“Nobody’s more torn up about that one than Justin,” Coach O’Connell said. “We try to emphasize only reaching the ball out on fourth down, but he’s a competitor. He’s playing a heck of a football game and making plays and trying to do whatever he can to win because that’s ultimately what he cares about the most. But that was incredibly unfortunate at the time — very similar to last week, late in the first half, a chance to have the lead going into halftime, and before you know it, it got away from us.”
Then again, it’s hard to put that one on Jefferson. The Eagles ran for over 250 yards, and he was as dominant as usual. The Vikings won’t win many games this season, but he’ll continue to put up big numbers.