Cowboys safety calls Justin Jefferson ‘best receiver in the league’ ahead of Week 11
When the Dallas Cowboys blew a 14-point lead to the Green Bay Packers, the main problem was the run defense. Dallas let Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon walk all over them to the tune of 207 rushing yards. They also let rookie Christian Watson get three receiving touchdowns.
It, unfortunately, doesn’t get any easier in Week 11. The Cowboys are headed to Minneapolis to face a team that has one of the best running backs in Dalvin Cook and one of the hottest receivers in the NFL in Justin Jeffereson.
Dallas has to prepare for a team that can get it done on the ground and in the air.
Even though Cooks is the eighth-best back in the league, Cowboys safety Jayron Kearse thinks that Jefferson is the clear threat for this Sunday. In fact, the veteran safety called the 23-year-old the best of the best.
"“He’s the best receiver in the league. The tape doesn’t lie. You can say whatever you want to say. You turn on the tape, you see it. He gets open against everybody. He plays [well] against every opponent. Every top corner you put in front of him, he’s going out and he’s making his plays. . . . The tape doesn’t lie.”"
Cowboys safety Jayron Kearse calls Justin Jefferson the best receiver in the league
Kearse is right. In nine games, Jefferson already has 69 receptions for four touchdowns and a whopping 1,060 yards. Right now, he is on pace to end the year with 2,003 yards which would break the single season receiving record (1,964) set by Calvin Johnson in 2012.
The only player with more yards than the Viking is Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill (1,148), but he has played in one more game than Jefferson this year.
Plus, Jefferson is fresh off one of the best games of his career. In a miraculous comeback win against the Buffalo Bills, the young receiver collected 10 receptions for 193 yards and a touchdown. He also brought in arguably one of the best catches of the year against Cam Lewis.
Jefferson will be riding high on momentum, but it is worth noting that he hasn’t had much success against the Cowboys so far in his career. In his rookie season (2020), the LSU product had three catches for 86 yards.
Last season, the Vikings receiver was essentially shut down completely. The Cowboys secondary limited him to just two catches for 21 yards, thanks in large part to the stellar work of Trevon Diggs — a man who is starting to earn respect from quarterbacks as Aaron Rodgers only threw his direction once in Week 10.
The hope is Diggs, Kearse, and the rest of the secondary can repeat or at least embody what they were able to accomplish last year. The veteran safety has faith his teammates can do it as long as they play “their way.”
"“We just have to play out ball. We can play with anybody in this league as long as we’re playing our brand of football. And if we’re not playing our brand of football, then show our three losses. That’s just what it boils down to.”"