Justin Jefferson shoulders blame in loss to Eagles

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Fate can be so cruel, particularly on a football field. Consider that Justin Jefferson tied an NFL record in the same game in which his fumble possibly cost his team the win.

The second-quarter miscue proved pivotal in the Vikings 34-28 road loss to the Eagles, the reigning NFC champions. Sure, some folks will remember how Justin Jefferson caught 11 passes for 159 yards in the game. The expectations are so lofty for Jefferson that NFL fans might expect this sort of performance every week.

And on the fumble, Jefferson caught a 30-yard pass. And as he reached for the pylon to score the touchdown, he lost the ball. It rolled into the end zone and out of bounds for a touchback.

“I’m putting a lot on myself, fumbling in the end zone like that when we need points,” Justin Jefferson told reporters in post game. “Being the captain of the team, I have to know the situation, take care of the ball. I told my teammates, that’s on me and it won’t happen again.”

Here’s the play that Justin Jefferson remembers from Thursday night’s loss to the Eagles. He fumbled as he was stretching for the pylon. (Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports)

Justin Jefferson did breeze past 5,000 career receiving yards

Also in the game, a four-yard catch allowed Jefferson, the former LSU star, to tie an NFL record. He and Hall of Famer Lance Alworth needed only 52 games to reach 5,000 yards receiving. Alworth did it first back in 1966 while playing for the San Diego Chargers and catching passes from the legendary John Hadl. Jefferson is the youngest to hit 5,000. He’s still only 24. Alworth, who eventually played for the Cowboys, was 26 when he blew past 5,000.

Justin Jefferson probably shouldn’t shoulder all the blame for the Vikings second straight loss of the season. He admitted to feeling deflated. But the Vikings lost three fumbles in the first half against the Eagles. It seemed to be a carryover from their season-opening home loss to the Bucs. After all, Minnesota fumbled three times in the first half against the Bucs. So this is a Vikings trend not of Jefferson’s making.

Still, when your star makes a mistake, it always seems so much bigger.

“No one’s more torn up about that one than Justin,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters after the game. The coach added: “He’s trying to do whatever he can to win. That was incredibly unfortunate at the time.”