The Minnesota Vikings have had a bad start to the season, getting defeated in all three of their games, which is disheartening considering they were the champions of the NFC North last year. However, the optimistic side is that there are still many more games left to be played, and that’s what star wide receiver Justin Jefferson is concentrated on.
When reporting to the media on Thursday, Jefferson emphasized that there are still 14 more games left in the season, and it’s too early to discuss the team’s future or potential roster changes.
“At the end of the day, it’s not going to be perfect every time,” said Jefferson via ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert. “There are things that you’ve got to go through throughout the season to tell if you’re going to be a great team or not. We’re handling adversity early in the season with the turnovers and being 0-3, but there is a whole bunch of more games to go.”
Starting the season with a 0-3 record is far from an ideal start and has increased anxiety about how to improve not just for this season but also for the future, including 2024 and further on.
Vikings Players Remain Focused on Current Season Amidst Contract and Rebuild Uncertainties
When general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah regarded the team’s situation as being in a “competitive rebuild” back in March, it naturally escalated questions about what steps should be taken to guarantee that the team performs well on the field and remains competitive.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins, who was unable to be traded due to a no-trade clause, will have his contract finish at the end of this season. Edge rusher Danielle Hunter, the team’s top sack leader with five, could also become a free agent at the end of this season. For now, Justin Jefferson, who presently leads the NFL with 458 receiving yards, is stuck into his contract for the next couple of years.
“I’m tired of people saying that we’re looking into next season or all of the trades and stuff like that,” Jefferson added. “We’re focused still on this season. We have a lot more games to go, and we have a lot more things to accomplish this season. We’re still focused, and we still have the same goal as we had before the season. We just need to fix a few things, and I feel like we’ll be back on track.”
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Vikings Face Uphill Battle in Quest to Overcome 0-3 Start and Make Playoffs
The Minnesota Vikings have gone through some tough breaks this season. In 2022, they managed to win all 11 games that were marked by a single score.
However, in 2023, their three losses have come by an edge of just three, six, and four points, respectively. They’ve had the most movement in the league, with an overall of nine, and their defense is categorized in the bottom 10 in both points allowed per game (27.3) and total yards allowed per game (382.3).
The Minnesota Vikings have five games remaining ahead of the NFL trade deadline on October 31, offering an opportunity to make positive progress rather than regress. However, keeping in mind that they will face challenging opponents like the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers in two of their next four games, their current difficult situation might even worsen.
According to the NFL, only six teams in history have qualified for the playoffs after starting the season with a 0-3 record, and among them, only the 1992 San Diego Chargers were able to do so regardless of starting 0-4.
