The Chicago Bears’ defense struggled to contain Vikings QB Sam Darnold last week. They allowed TE T.J. Hockenson and WR Jordan Addison to combine for 276 yards. However, star WR Justin Jefferson had a relatively quiet day statistically, finishing with just 2 receptions for 27 yards.
Despite the low numbers, Jefferson played a key role in drawing two defensive pass interference penalties on Jaylon Johnson. One penalty gained 10 yards, while the other added 35 yards, with both penalties putting the Vikings in the red zone. Although Johnson wasn’t game planned to shadow Jefferson throughout the game, he did face him one-on-one on several plays.
Jaylon Johnson called for DPI on this play. Do you agree? pic.twitter.com/5k89Eyo01R
— Dave (@dave_bfr) November 24, 2024
One notable moment was a missed tackle by Johnson on a Jefferson reception over the middle, which led to a significant gain during the final drive in overtime. When asked about facing Johnson and being limited to just 2 catches, Jefferson’s response was particularly intriguing.
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“It’s either let everybody else go off or let Justin go off. Ima let everybody else go off.”
Bears star safety Jaquan Brisker, currently on injured reserve, called out Justin Jefferson for lying and attributed Jefferson’s lackluster performance to the “Jaylon Johnson effect.” Below is Brisker’s quote tweet responding to Jefferson’s statement.
This is actually called Jaylon Johnson effect lol.. so he couldn’t go off. https://t.co/QrYoddqVOK
— Quanny B. (@JaquanBrisker) November 27, 2024
Jaylon Johnson has been outstanding this season, with many considering him one of the best corners in the league. However, Pro Football Focus gave him his lowest coverage grade of the season (39.2) in the Bears’ game against Minnesota. According to PFF, Johnson allowed a touchdown and missed a tackle. Additionally, Sam Darnold posted a 131.9 QB rating when targeting Johnson—another season high. The Vikings’ offense lived up to its reputation, effectively spreading the ball to their playmakers. While I appreciate Jaquan Brisker standing up for his teammate, it’s hard to argue against Jefferson’s criticism in this case.
PFF doesn’t tell the entire story. Both of those PIs wouldn’t have been called most of the time. Jefferson being a golden child NFL receiver had a lot to do with that. For Him to be held to 2 catches and less than 30 yards definitely had a lot to do with Jaylon Johnson and the 131 rating throwing to him was because he only had 2 receptions because he was covered most of the game.
The TRUTH does often hurt.