Justin Jefferson Weighs In on Vikings’ First-Quarter Benching of Jordan Addison

Justin Jefferson has risen to a leadership position in the Minnesota Vikings locker room, especially as an experienced wide receiver.

Justin Jefferson Weighs In on Vikings’ First-Quarter Benching of Jordan Addison

Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison (Images via PFN/The US Sun)

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The Minnesota Vikings secured their first international win of the season in Week five’s Sunday, defeating the Cleveland Browns 21-17 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The win was marked by clutch moments and even a moment of accountability.

Jordan Addison, the Vikings’ controversial third-year wideout, was benched by the head coach, Kevin O’Connell. Though he returned to action later for the game-winning clutch touchdown, the temporal oddity was highly noticed by the media and fans alike. Following the game, O’Connell revealed why he benched Addison in the first quarter in the post-game conference.

O’Connell claimed that his decision stemmed from the fact that Addison had missed the walkthroughs ahead of the game.

We’re always gonna keep a lot of those details in house, but I do think I wanna share with you guys [that] he missed a walkthrough this week. Those types of things aren’t in alignment with our standards and (I) wanted to make sure he was held accountable for that. But at the same time, he knows that.

Kevin O’Connell said after the game

Later, one of Addison’s teammates and a key player in the Vikings squad, Justin Jefferson, added more to the walkthrough incident. Jefferson told the reporters that he had a word with Addison following the incident, while also noting that he will be helping his fellow teammate navigate the league.

It’s just all about growing up and just being a part of the team and knowing the stakes. I’ve just got to do better keeping him under my wing, and making sure he has his head on straight.

Justin Jefferson told

In the modern world, brimming with more respect towards transparency and accountability, the Vikings scored a major point on Sunday. The takeaway would be that, behind the commercialization, these are the few instances that show that the integrity of the game is always valued.

Justin Jefferson was the MVP in the Browns vs. Vikings early afternoon game on Sunday

Jordan Addison may have caught the decisive game-winning touchdown for the Minnesota Vikings. But it was Justin Jefferson behind that drive, which awarded them the much-needed win before heading back to Minneapolis.

Justin Jefferson
Justin Jefferson (Image via Vikings/X)

In both games across the pond in Europe, Justin Jefferson had made his mark with two outings with more than 120 receiving yards each. In the Week 4 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin, Jefferson had ten receptions for 126 yards. Meanwhile, in Week 5, he put up 123 yards from seven receptions, including a 38-yarder.

Jefferson made big plays throughout, including multiple first-down grabs early and several clutch receptions in the second half. In key moments, Jefferson’s presence changed the game.

He drew a pass interference penalty to extend a drive in the first quarter, and hauled in a leaping 21-yard catch to set up a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, he made a twisting 38-yard grab on third-and-long that energized the team. On the Vikings’ final drive, his 21-yard back-shoulder catch over Denzel Ward helped set up Addison’s decisive score.

More than just numbers, Jefferson’s composure and leadership were vital. Despite constant double coverage and another quarterback change, this time to Carson Wentz, Jefferson’s chemistry with whoever throws him the ball remains unmatched.

After a long trip through two different countries on a different continent, the Vikings return to the States for a much-needed bye week. They have a challenging schedule following the bye week, starting with the Philadelphia Eagles, followed by the Los Angeles Chargers and the Detroit Lions.

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