Jeffersonwatch: Slightly ahead of 2,000-yard pace

We’ve talked a couple of times today about Justin Jefferson and the Minnesota Vikings records he set on Saturday afternoon in the 27-24 victory over the New York Giants. Because of his big performance today, he’s back on pace to take aim at some NFL records as well.

With his 12-catch, 133-yard performance on Saturday, Jefferson has 1,756 yards on the season, which is already the seventh-highest total for a season in NFL history. He appears to be well in position to set the record for receiving yardage in a season as well as potentially become the first receiver in NFL history to break the 2,000-yard mark.

The current record for receiving yardage in a season is held by Megatron himself, Calvin Johnson, who had 1,964 yards in 2012. To get to that mark, Jefferson needs 208 yards, or an average of 104 yards/game over the next two weeks.

If Jefferson is going to get to 2,000, he needs 244 yards, or an average of 122 yards/game.

The final two opponents for the Vikings are divisional foes that they’ll face on the road in the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears. The Vikings have already played both of those teams this season, and Jefferson had big games against both of them. He had nine catches for 184 yards and two touchdowns against Green Bay back in Week 1, and followed that up with a 12-catch, 154-yard performance against the Bears in Week 5. If he can come close to replicating that, he’s going to make a run at both Calvin Johnson and 2,000 receiving yards.

I know there are probably going to be people. . .not Vikings fans, mind you. . .that are going to gripe about how Jefferson needed 17 games to do what Johnson did in 16 or whatever. I can understand that, but if that’s going to be the case then I guess we can ignore all the records that were set after the NFL went from a 14-game schedule to a 16-game schedule, too. It’s not Jefferson’s fault that the parameters for what constitutes a “season” changed. The NFL made that decision, not him. He’s (potentially) setting the records in the timeframe that he’s given.

It doesn’t look like the 49ers are going to let up in the race for the #2 seed in the NFC playoffs, so I wouldn’t think the Vikings are going to be sitting and resting anyone any time soon. That leads me to believe that Jefferson has a real shot at this. What do you think, folks?