Jefferson, Vikings look to regroup after ’embarrassing’ loss

There is no such thing as a doubt how Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson feels about his crew’s 40-3 loss Sunday to the Dallas Cowboys.

Talking Monday to native reporters, Jefferson mentioned the loss was “embarrassing” and “a catastrophe throughout.” He then made clear that coach Kevin O’Connell and his employees ought to have adjusted the passing sport to counteract the Dallas Cowboys’ fierce go rush. finally, quarterback Kirk Cousins was sacked a career-high seven instances, together with twice by defensive participant of the yr candidate Micah Parsons, and was pressured on 63% of his dropbacks.

“It is robust with Kirk getting sacked earlier than you are even getting out of the break,” Jefferson mentioned. “It is undoubtedly being in a tricky state of affairs, however we have simply bought to maneuver towards extra fast sport, getting the ball out faster, placing the ball in area and letting folks work, simply issues we have to regulate on simply all through the sport. If issues aren’t understanding the way in which we deliberate, then we have to discover a strategy to regulate and go towards one thing that can work higher for us. We simply cannot proceed to maintain doing the identical factor all through the sport regardless that it isn’t working. However we have got to be higher as a complete crew. It is good as a result of we have now an opportunity to do this in three days.”

Certainly, the Vikings will host the New England Patriots on Thursday night time at U.S. Financial institution Stadium. They’re 8-2 in O’Connell’s first yr, and Jefferson is off to the very best begin of his profession. However he caught solely three passes for 33 yards Sunday and pointedly referred to as the game-long points in go safety a “lesson realized.”

“I imply after all I want we had adjusted sooner all through the sport,” Jefferson mentioned. “Getting the ball out faster, not letting Micah Parsons and the remainder of that D-line get an opportunity to get again there to Kirk. So it is simply issues we have to be taught from. This can be a new crew. This can be a new teaching employees. Now we have new gamers on this crew. We’re all nonetheless studying one another. We’re nonetheless all studying find out how to play with one another.

“It is only a lesson realized. Similar to [after a Week 2 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles], it was a lesson realized that week. So it is simply all through the season, we’re studying issues about one another, studying methods to win. And it is all going to prove higher for us later within the season once we get to the playoffs and we get to that stretch the place we have to win and we have to know what to do and find out how to change up the plan if issues aren’t going nicely.”

O’Connell mentioned Sunday that “I did not coach nicely sufficient tonight and we bought outplayed.” He was not out there Monday to handle Jefferson’s particular feedback about transferring to a faster passing sport.

Sunday’s loss got here by the second-highest level differential for a crew 8-1 or higher within the Tremendous Bowl period, an consequence not misplaced on Jefferson.

“I imply it simply sucks that we misplaced this unhealthy,” he mentioned. “If we simply misplaced by three, 7, 10 factors, it would not be as unhealthy. Individuals lose video games. We’re not anticipated to go undefeated for the remainder of the season. Issues occur. It is the NFL. There’s good groups that we’re taking part in. But it surely’s simply the truth that we misplaced by 37 factors at dwelling. It is simply embarrassing being in that sort of state of affairs and we simply did not play good in all phases. That is what actually killed us and made us act the way in which we’re performing now.

“We have simply bought to get that style out of our mouth. We did not play good in any respect. We simply wish to get to Thursday (and) have an opportunity to get that style out of our mouth and play higher.”