Vikings 23, Jets 17
Q. Last week on our show, we did this fashion segment. What are you wearing today and what's the inspiration?
JUSTIN JEFFERSON: Yeah, I'm glad you've asked. I've got the Burberry on today, nothing too crazy. I've just got the little designs, got the holes in it. I've got the shoes. Pretty much head to toe Burberry.
Q. Justin Williams (indiscernible)
JUSTIN JEFFERSON: They definitely helped us out today. I definitely was not surprised, but just the way that they attacked the ball, the turnovers, the pick six. Definitely something that we needed in this game, especially the way the offense played. Wasn't happy about how the offense played as a whole. We definitely left yards, points out there.
There's definitely room for improvement and room to work.
I'm excited for this bye week to get a rest and get back to it, but we definitely need to fix some things.
Q. Justin Cahill said you wanted to stay aggressive (indiscernible) plays that you guys left out there?
JUSTIN JEFFERSON: Oh, for sure. That's how the game goes sometimes. Every game is not going to be a great game for us. There's going to be moments where we hit adversity sometimes, moments where the game is not going to go the way we want it to go. We've just got to be better as players as to coming together and just not worrying about what's been going on throughout the whole game, and we just need to execute our plays whenever we need to.
Q. Justin, how much do you feel like Aaron Jones (indiscernible) what you guys could do offensively?
JUSTIN JEFFERSON: Yeah, Aaron Jones is definitely a great back. He definitely makes some key plays for us, especially with the run game, and even in the pass game he's been a force for us.
But it's never something that we're being down on. It changes up the whole game plan. We have Ty Chandler, we have other guys in the backfield that can have the same type of style as him and make big plays just like he do.
It's definitely tough missing that type of player, a key player on our offense, but we always have confidence in the next man up to come in and do exactly what he need to do.
Q. You're 5-0 heading into the bye. T.J. Hockenson is back in practice. How excited are you to see him return and how much of a boost is he?
JUSTIN JEFFERSON: Yeah, T.J. is definitely a key factor for us, just adding him on to the force, along with the other weapons we have on this team. It's going to be crazy. I'm excited to see him back in action and mixing in the plays and the schemes. It's going to be even more difficult for teams to really guard us.
He's definitely a force for us, and we're excited for him to get back.
Q. Justin, I noticed the jet on your chain. Do you want to mention about that?
JUSTIN JEFFERSON: Yeah, I've had that since I was a rookie in the league. Everybody knows my nickname is Jets, so I had to get a jet on my neck.
Q. No relation to the game today?
JUSTIN JEFFERSON: No relation, no relation. I'm jet, so I've got to have a jet.
Q. We spoke on Friday about playing in the UK. You're currently the only team still undefeated here in the UK. Heading into the bye, where is your mindset right now?
JUSTIN JEFFERSON: Yeah, I mean, these first five games were difficult. We're playing top teams in this league, teams that are pretty much contenders to be in the Super Bowl.
Looking back on these five games, they've been tough, but we've been playing great football.
Definitely room for improvement and things that we need to fix. But just coming off of a season with a whole new quarterback, new system, a couple new guys on defense, I feel like we're doing great. We just need to keep it on, keep going, especially after this bye week. After a week off, some teams get kind of complacent and feel like they're in a great spot in this league. It's still early and there's still a lot of things that can still change.
After this bye we still need to be focused, locked in, and be ready to go whenever we come back.
Q. What's going through your mind there in that last series where Rodgers is going down and the defense has got to go and make a play there?
JUSTIN JEFFERSON: Yeah, I felt like just based off of how our defense has been playing, I honestly didn't feel like in a bad spot. I felt like we were going to make a play at some point in that drive, and luckily we did.
We just feel like as an offense, we can't put our defense in those type of situations, especially by the way they're playing, getting us the ball back, even putting points on the board. We've got to do a better job as an offense to contain the game, make sure they don't get that time of possession back.
It's just things that we need to fix and things that we need to look at, but 5-0 doesn't come easy, so we're definitely grateful for that.
Q. What's been your impression of Will Reichard?
JUSTIN JEFFERSON: Oh, he's a dog. He's an SEC guy, so that's something that we're kind of expecting from him.
But to say he's coming in as a new guy and making field goals left and right and especially from the length that he's making it, it's definitely something that we need, especially not putting points on the board as an offense, coming out with three points is something.
Of course we wanted to get the seven, but if you take those three points away, all the field goals that he made away, we don't come out with this game.
Q. Going up against top corners like Sauce Gardner in the league, were there any friendly exchanges of words while you were playing today, or is it quite civil?
JUSTIN JEFFERSON: Yeah, I always love going up against a top corner in this league. I always love those type of match-ups. It gets my juices flowing to go out there and compete. We're not friendly, I would say, but we don't dislike each other. I feel like we understand each other's game, and we respect each other's game.
Whenever we're out there we might get a little chippy sometimes just because that's how we compete. But at the end of the day, it's best against best, and of course I'm trying to win that battle every time.
Q. Before the game I asked Cris Carter to rank his all-time Viking receivers. Where do you think he ranked you?
JUSTIN JEFFERSON: I would probably say either No. 3 or No. 4.
Q. He put you No. 1. How does that make you feel?
JUSTIN JEFFERSON: Wow, that's crazy. To put me in front of him, that's something that kind of speaks itself.
You know as a receiver, you're never putting somebody else in front of you, especially how Cris Carter has played and what he has done for the Vikings organization. That's special. Words doesn't even reflect how I feel about that.
But to say the guys that came from the Vikings, Randy Moss, J Reed, there's plenty of guys that came in this purple and gold that had the right to say that they're one of the top receivers that ever came through. For him to list me No. 1 is very special. I have goosebumps kind of thinking about it.
But Cris Carter has been my guy ever since I came into the league. He was my mentor coming into the combine.
For him to still be here and still to give me those words of wisdom and kind of be in my ear and just telling me what to do and what not to do and being the player that I am, very special. Very special. Very heartwarming.
Q. Do you feel like the field conditions changed over the course of the game and how do you adapt to that?
JUSTIN JEFFERSON: Yeah, they changed, and that happens, especially with the weather. It was kind of raining a little bit, being a little cold. It's not something that we kind of put a major force to. Field conditions are going to be field conditions. Every field is not going to be perfect in this league. We've still got to make sure we're getting our technique down and making sure that we're getting our feet in front of our shoulders.
It's going to be tough always just dealing with those type of conditions, and as a receiver, your footwork is one of the main important things.
It definitely gets slick out there, but you've just got to kind of focus in on your technique and making sure that your footwork is top tier.
Q. Did you feel like they were trying to take you out of the game?
JUSTIN JEFFERSON: Yes and no. I don't feel like any team can really take me out of the game. They had a couple holding penalties and had a couple bracket coverages or a safety over the top, but that's going to happen every single week. That's not something that we're kind of surprised about. Every single week we're kind of focused on me being doubled or me being tripled. It happens.
I always try to prepare myself to go through those tough games where I'm getting held or I'm getting doubled, and I've still got to get open. It's my job to get open and make plays for this team. So every single time I'm out there on that field, no matter how they're guarding me, no matter how they're holding me, I try to make the most of those opportunities.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports