The Minnesota Vikings offense struggled for a full 60 minutes in Sunday night's 22-6 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. That makes seven out of eight less than stellar quarters for the J.J. McCarthy-led unit, though the final 15 minutes against Chicago in Week 1 does plenty to inspire confidence that the highs will be worth the lows.
McCarthy finished the game with 11 completions and three went to star receiver Justin Jefferson for a combined 81 yards. No other pass-catcher was able to account for more than 31 yards. NBC's cameras captured him on the sidelines late in the fourth quarter, which allowed Cris Collinsworth to speculate.
"You just have to wonder what he's thinking," Collinsworth said. "We know he's a team player. You know, we've heard all the stuff from [coach] Kevin O'Connell about how good his spirt's been. You just have to wonder if he's getting a little frustrated right now."
"A quiet one for Justin Jefferson." - Mike Tirico
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 15, 2025
"You just have to wonder what he's thinking. We know he's a team player... You just have to wonder if he's getting a little frustrated right now." - Cris Collinsworth 🏈🎙️ #NFL https://t.co/ohmqizwVyz pic.twitter.com/7IqApYG0yi
Play-by-play voice Mike Tirico fairly pointed out that everyone associated with the Vikings is probably getting a bit frustrated.
Moving on from Sam Darnold and a 14-3 record was a risk. One undertaken with the knowledge there might be some growing pains as McCarthy tries to match last year's production and win total. Two games is far too small a sample size. And, the sky is not falling because he was able to snag victory from the jaws of defeat with that big comeback.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cris Collinsworth Wonders If Justin Jefferson Is Getting Frustrated.
