Justin Jefferson loves the playing the Lions.
Across eight career games against Detroit, the Vikings' superstar has 1,073 receiving yards, which is more than anyone in NFL history has had against one team in eight games. That's an average of 134.1 yards per game.
Jefferson has been particularly dominant at Ford Field, where he's averaged a ridiculous 182.5 yards in four games, highlighted by a career-high 223 yards there in 2022. He's still put up a solid 85.8 yards per game against the Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium, a figure that's dragged down by a 14-yard day in the first meeting between the teams in '22. But the Vikings won that game, as the Lions committed eight penalties for either defensive pass interference, defensive holding, or illegal contact (which is something to watch for on Sunday).
On paper, everything is in place for Jefferson to have another big game against Detroit in this weekend's massive showdown between the top two teams in the NFL by point differential and DVOA. The Vikings had their bye week to clean up some things in the passing game after Jefferson caught just 6 of 14 targets (and drew four penalties) against the Jets in London. Aaron Jones is questionable but expected to play, which would mean the Lions have to respect the running game.
And the Lions might be without top cornerback Carlton Davis, who is dealing with a quad injury. If he's out, it would be rookie Terrion Arnold (who leads all NFL CBs in penalties), nickel Amik Robertson, and a backup like Kindle Vildor, Khalil Dorsey, or rookie Ennis Rakestraw Jr. playing cornerback on Sunday.
"I don't know what it is about Detroit, but I've just been making a couple plays here or there," Jefferson said this week.
This week's game is bigger than any Vikings-Lions matchup in recent memory, with first place in the NFC North and the No. 1 seed in the NFC on the line. Jefferson would love to rack up some more yards, but he mostly wants to snap the Vikings' three-game losing streak against Detroit and move to 6-0 on the season. He's gone for at least 140 yards in four of the last five games against the Lions, but those were all losses.
"I always love these type of games, the games that you need the most, that are important," Jefferson said. "Whenever those games are in front of me, I like to make the most of those type of games. ... I just definitely gotta come up with the dub this time."
