(Video) Best receiver in NFL? Justin Jefferson juggles his way through to complete an unreal catch against the Rams

Minnesota Vikings Justin Jefferson once again showed why he is the highest-paid wide receiver in football after he managed to brilliantly hang on to a pass from Sam Darnold during their loss against Matthew Stafford's Rams.

(Video) Best receiver in NFL? Justin Jefferson juggles his way through to complete an unreal catch against the Rams

Justin Jefferson catches during Rams game (Image via IMAGO/ X)

Justin Jefferson showed what George Pickens can do, he can match with relative ease. The Minnesota Vikings star wide receiver was on to form once again when they traveled to LA to play NFC rivals, the Los Angeles Rams, on Thursday.

It was all square at halftime as both Sam Darnold and Matthew Stafford threw two touchdowns each. The second half began in an equal manner.

YouTube video

Around the eight-minute mark, on Vikings drive, Darnold threw a dime, aiming at Justin Jefferson, who had Rams defensive back Darious Williams as his marker. Jefferson’s first attempt at keeping the ball under control proved futile as it bobbled out of his grasp.

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Instead of giving up on it, the all-pro receiver extended his arm and secured the pass before going out of bounds. Williams wanted an incomplete catch, but the referee signaled that Jefferson’s catch was legal.

However, the Vikings failed to capitalize on their advanced position with a seven and had to settle for a field goal from Will Reichard.

Steelers George Pickens made a similar catch when he played the Cowboys a couple of weeks ago. Unlike Jefferson, Pickens needed several tries before he got the ball under his control.

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Is the honeymoon period over for the Minnesota Vikings and Justin Jefferson?

The Vikings traveled to SoFi on the back of massive trade rumors surrounding Stafford. According to the reports, the Minnesota outfit wants the veteran Super Bowl winner as their No. 1 quarterback next year.

(Video) Best receiver in NFL? Justin Jefferson juggles his way through to complete an unreal catch against the Vikings
Justin Jefferson (Image via IMAGO)

So, the pressure was on Stafford, and to some extent, Darnold was part of it too, because his future’s also on the line. The purists will point out that Stafford always shines while under the scanner, and he did not disappoint.

Even though the Vikings 36-year-old threw a horrible pick just before Jefferson’s brilliant catch, he more than made up for it later on.

Stafford connected twice with Demarcus Robinson—once in the third quarter and again late in the fourth—as the Rams secured only their second victory of the season. He finished with 25 of 34 for 279 yards and four touchdowns (133.19 quarterback rating).

On the other hand, the Vikings chose to run the ball more. Running back Aaron Jones accumulated 19 runs but only gained 58 yards on the night. Justin Jefferson had the best outing of the season with eight receptions for 115 yards but zero scores.

Jefferson passed former Vikings receiver Jake Reed for fifth on the franchise’s all-time receiving leaders and just ahead of him is Adam Theilen on the list, who now plays in Carolina. The LSU graduate has 33 catches for 531 receiving yards and five touchdowns this season.

However, on a more serious note, the Vikings are starting to lose that early season steam, which propelled them to a five-game win streak.

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Kevin O’Connell’s side has now lost back-to-back games when other teams (Lions, Packers) in the conference are starting to peak. They need to get their act together and rediscover their mojo before, or before too long they will end up like the Panthers.