 holds a ball during warmup prior to the game against the Washington Commanders at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports.</p>
<p>” data-medium-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/USATSI_19374052.jpg” data-large-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1180,height=787,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/USATSI_19374052.jpg”><figcaption> Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports.</figcaption></figure>
<p>The Minnesota Vikings have been rolling to start the 2024 NFL season. With a 7-2 record through their first nine games, it’s hard to be disappointed about anything they have achieved. Justin Jefferson continues to look like <a href=)
the best wide receiver in the game, but he doesn’t currently have the most yards. If he’s going to get there, an insane game like the one Ja’Marr Chase posted should be coming.
Is Justin Jefferson’s “Chase Game” Coming?
Minnesota absolutely does not want to be the Cincinnati Bengals. Joe Burrow’s team is 4-6 this season, and they have been banged up virtually all year long. Still, Ja’Marr Chase leads the NFL with 981 receiving yards, and that’s largely a byproduct of his ridiculous output last week.
 breaks away from Baltimore Ravens safety Marcus Williams (32) on a reception in the first quarter of the NFL Week 18 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Baltimore Ravens at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023. The Bengals led 24-7 at halftime. © Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK.</p>
<p>” data-medium-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/USATSI_19914262.jpg” data-large-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1180,height=787,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/USATSI_19914262.jpg” src=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/USATSI_19914262.jpg” alt><figcaption>Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (1) breaks away from Baltimore Ravens safety Marcus Williams (32) on a reception in the first quarter of the NFL Week 18 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Baltimore Ravens at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023. The Bengals led 24-7 at halftime. © Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK.<span></span></figcaption></figure>
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<p>Although the Bengals lost to the Baltimore Ravens, it certainly wasn’t because of anything Burrow or Chase did. The quarterback popped off for 428 yards and four touchdowns. The receiver turned in 264 yards and three of those scores. It was a gargantuan effort from the duo and certainly a high-water point for Chase this season.</p>
<p>Justin Jefferson has continued to be Sam Darnold’s top option. He looks like a star every time he’s on the field, and he was so desirable for Minnesota’s quarterback on Sunday that Darnold threw multiple picks trying to force him the football. It’s not as though Jefferson’s 831 yards (currently second in the NFL) are a slight, but he has yet to really go crazy.</p>
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against the Tennessee Titans might be a tough matchup to make it happen. They hold passing games in check, and Darnold doesn’t seem like the quarterback capable of exposing them. There are still eight games left on the schedule, and finding one for Jefferson to go crazy would be great.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes daily for Minnesota Sports Fan. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
