After a slow start to the game in Week 1, the Minnesota Vikings’ offense has had trouble getting started again in Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons. As J.J. McCarthy gets more comfortable under center, many thought having WR Justin Jefferson to throw to would be a massive boon to the second-year signal-caller. Still, the two have struggled to connect to begin the season. Let’s take a look at Jefferson’s slow start to the 2025 NFL season.
What Happened to Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson?
Jefferson is not injured, and he was not on the injury report heading into the Week 2 Sunday Night Football matchup against the Falcons. However, similar to Week 1’s win over the Chicago Bears, McCarthy and the Vikings’ offense are struggling to get things going early on. They’ve only been able to muster up six points off two field goals in the first half.
The offense eventually got going and can thank Brian Flores and his suffocating defense for Minnesota not being worse off. Still, the slow starts will ultimately be too much to overcome. Jefferson eventually got some passes last week, hauling in three passes for 44 yards and a touchdown, and finally broke through the monotony tonight, breaking off a 50-yard reception right before halftime to set up another field goal.
J.J. McCarthy finds Justin Jefferson for a 50-yard gain before the half 🔥
(via @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/IHVdBxhYnS— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) September 15, 2025
Despite the come-from-behind 27-24 win over the Bears, McCarthy did not look the greatest, completing 13 of 20 passes for 143 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He’s thrown another interception in the first half of the Week 2 showdown. The Vikings need him to clean up this play and get the offense in a positive direction in the second half.
McCarthy needs to clean things up, but the Vikings also need to tighten up the pass protection. The Falcons got to the quarterback five times, which is a bit surprising for a team that has historically struggled to sack the quarterback. The Vikings desperately need someone to step up with center Ryan Kelly going out of the game with a concussion.
The late pass to Jefferson can give fans hope that they can turn things around. They are only three points behind, which is somewhat astonishing given how poorly the offense has played in the first half. It also doesn’t help that the rushing attack is failing to give a boost, either with Jordan Mason leading the group with 18 yards on five carries.
