Sam Darnold got the Minnesota Vikings off to a great start on Sunday by throwing a stunning 97-yard touchdown to wide receiver Justin Jefferson. The touchdown gave the Vikings an early 10-0 lead in the second quarter shortly after the San Francisco 49ers lost the ball in the red zone.
Darnold connected with Jefferson with a stunning pass from the Vikings’ end zone. Jefferson caught the ball just past the halfway line and was able to bypass the San Francisco defense and score the touchdown.
The 49ers had tried it on fourth and short near the goal line but failed to cross the ball, so Minnesota got the ball back. On second and ninth, Darnold was able to throw the ball 50 yards toward Jefferson, a somewhat risky move (with a low probability) that ultimately paid off.
Sam Darnold and Justin Jefferson (97 yards touchdown)
Two plays after the Vikings defense forced a turnover near their own goal line, Darnold and Jefferson hit a deep hit to give Minnesota a two-point lead.
🔹 Fourth down stop: +8.7% probability of winning
🔹 Jefferson TD: +21.3% probability of winning pic.twitter.com/TTmsFogFYQ— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) 15 September 2024
With this pass, Jefferson surpassed the 6,000 yard mark. Jefferson reached this milestone in just 62 games, making him the fastest player in NFL history to do so.
Jefferson’s big catch came a day after he made comments that set him apart from the rest of the NFL’s receivers. When asked if watching the 49ers defend the New York Jets’ top receiver Garrett Wilson in San Francisco’s dominant Week 1 win helped him prepare for Sunday, Jefferson dismissed the comparison.
“With all due respect, I’m not Garrett Wilson. Teams play completely differently against me,” Jefferson said.
On Sunday, he and Darnold proved it again.
