Minnesota Vikings All-World wide receiver Justin Jefferson is no stranger to championship-level teams.
Following the Vikings’ dramatic 27-24 comeback victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Jefferson likened this year’s squad to the 2019 LSU Tigers, the team with which he won a national championship.
“Not just what we’re doing out there on the field, but the way we carry ourselves, the way we treat each other,” Jefferson said of the similarities between the two teams.
“In 2019, when I won a championship at LSU, it was the same type of vibe. The team is just together, fighting for one another every single game. It definitely feels the same.”
For Vikings fans, Jefferson’s comments inspire hope of a Super Bowl run.
The franchise has yet to win its first Lombardi Trophy in its nearly 60-year history and has not appeared in the big game for almost 50 years.
Their last Super Bowl opportunity ended in defeat in 1977, and they’ve lost six consecutive NFC Championship Games since then, falling short in 1987, 1998, 2000, 2009, and 2017.
Despite the challenging history, Jefferson sees reasons for optimism.
“We’re coming together,” he said. “Every single game, we’re finding different ways to overcome adversity.”
The 2024 Vikings started the season with five straight wins before suffering two narrow defeats to the Lions and Rams.
Since then, they’ve rebounded with an eight-game winning streak.
The team has embraced a “1-0 each week” mentality – common in football for its effectiveness – and it’s paying major dividends.
With two games left in the regular season, the Vikings are on the verge of something special.
If they win both, they’ll secure the NFC’s No. 1 seed for the first time since 1998, the year of Randy Moss’s electric rookie season.
As Jefferson and his teammates continue their playoff push, his comparison to LSU’s championship run resonates.
The bond, focus, and resilience he described could prove critical in rewriting the Vikings’ postseason narrative.
What are your thoughts on Jefferson’s comments?
Do you view the Vikings as legitimate (and I mean truly legitimate) Super Bowl contenders???
