Stopping the Vikings’ offense starts with slowing down arguably the best wide receiver in the game, Justin Jefferson.
That’s obviously easier said than done. Jefferson has the fifth-most receiving yards (649) in the league so far, and the four-time Pro Bowler is on pace to top 1,000 yet again, as he’s done every year.
So how do the Ravens plan to approach him?
“They’ve seen every type of coverage you can run at him; so, we’ve just got to mix it up and not let him get a beat on what we’re doing, not let him wreck the game and make sure we always have awareness of where he’s at,” Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr said.
“Also, it goes hand in hand with the rush as well, so we have to get some pressure on this quarterback, so he doesn’t have time to sit back there and find Justin Jefferson all day.”
Head Coach John Harbaugh said Jefferson is a “super talented guy” who has “all of the skills.” But he’s not the only talented receiving threat on Minnesota’s roster.
Fellow wide receiver Jordan Addison has 357 receiving yards and tight end T.J. Hockenson has 233. They all have two touchdowns.
“What I think is really unique about them is it’s once you start adjusting the coverage his way too much, they have other guys,” Harbaugh said. “They have plenty of guys that they can go to that are top-notch receivers and running backs. So, you can’t overdo that. I think you just got to trust your defense to play the defense the way it’s supposed to be played.”
The Ravens have used top cover cornerback Nate Wiggins to shadow the opponent’s top receiver at times this year. Wiggins specifically asked coaches for that assignment against the Los Angeles Rams’ Davante Adams, for example.
Wiggins said he’s approaching his matchup with Jefferson like any other, with his head down and ready to compete.
“Things like this is when I come alive and when I think I play my best,” Wiggins said. “It’s best on best. I feel like he’s one of the best in the game and I feel like I’m one of the best in the game.”
