Going into week five, the Minnesota Vikings are sitting with a 1-3 record and two games behind the division leading Detroit Lions.
On Sunday, they beat the Carolina Panthers by a score of 21-13 with three touchdowns scored for the second-consecutive game.
Buy Vikings TicketsJustin Jefferson didn’t have a touchdown in the first two weeks of the season, but he has exploded over the last two weeks with three touchdowns, including two against the Panthers.
Touchdowns themselves are inherently random in nature, which is why you can see droughts from star players over the course of weeks. When they do happen, understanding the why behind it can help predict how the Vikings will attack in the future.
The all-22 is the best way to look at how the Vikings scored on the Panthers and we broke down all three touchdowns.
1. Justin Jefferson
This is a simple hi/lo concept off of play-action for Kirk Cousins. He has to bail faster than normal due to pressure coming in fast and hard.
The read here is to start high and work your way down to the flat. Both are covered, but Justin Jefferson is coming in on a crossing route as a third option. He sees Cousins in distress and stops his route. That springs him open for the touchdown.
Breaking off a route with your quarterback in pressure is what you do when your quarterback is in a scramble drill and Jefferson does it perfectly.
2. D.J. Wonnum
Brian Flores loves his blitzes and the blitz he loves the most is Bengal Hawk. It’s an overload blitz with 7-8 players on the line of scrimmage. Whatever side the protection slides to the defense has two players bail out from that side.
This is one of those, except only Jonathan Bullard dropped into coverage because seven players were on the line instead of eight. That freed Harrison Smith for a speed rush around the edge. As Bryce Young tries to evade him, Smith knocks out the ball and D.J. Wonnum gets the touchdown. Getting a strip sack with a touchdown won’t be the norm, but this kind of pressure will be.
3. Justin Jefferson
Aaron Rodgers killed the Vikings and the rest of the NFL with the scramble drill. When he caught you trying to jump offsides, Rodgers made you pay. The Vikings were able to do that here.
Jefferson and Addison were both running designed go routes on this play (or they altered their routes perfectly) and Jefferson made them pay. He skies over the defender for an easy touchdown and Cousins doesn’t hesitate to rip this one. That could be because it’s a free play, but the Vikings could use more of him ripping it in there.
