Vikings’ Justin Jefferson is a problem – but Chiefs have a plan to stop him

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The Chiefs’ defense will be put to the test on Sunday as they face Vikings star Justin Jefferson, arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL. However, according to safety Mike Edwards, Kansas has a plan to stop him.

In Week 5, the Chiefs travel to Minneapolis to face the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at 3:25 pm. Surprisingly, it is the first time in Patrick Mahomes’ career that he has ever come up against the Vikings, or played against Kirk Cousins.

The Chiefs currently have a 3-1 record this season, although there have been plenty of offensive struggles. However, their defense has still been solid, with NFL Football Power Index 2023 ranking them sixth in the league with a 73.3% defensive rating.

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Vikings’ Justin Jefferson is a problem – but Chiefs have a plan to stop him

Although they have a 1-3 record, the Vikings are ranked third in total passing yards, while Justin Jefferson leads the NFL in receiving yards (543).

The 24-year-old WR is one of the most explosive players in the league, and the Chiefs are all too aware of the threat he poses.

“[Jefferson]’s a heck of a player,” head coach Andy Reid told reporters this week. “You’re aware of him, obviously, for his skill. You have to be creative – but most of all, you have to cover the guy. That’s the best thing you can do.”

However, Chiefs safety Mike Edwards told reporters that they have a plan to slow down Jefferson on Sunday.

“He’s one of the best receivers in the game right now,” Edwards said. “We have to take away his explosive plays; we have to stop [his] yards after catch.”

“You just have to hone in on tackling,” the safety explained, “[and] swarm him with all 11 guys running to the football.

“A guy like that is hard to bring down – hard to stop – but we have been practicing on it and harping on it.”

“It’s hard to stop him”, Edwards reiterated. “All the play after play, but like I said, we have everybody come, swarm to the ball, and try to limit the explosive plays. I mean, if he gets a five-yard catch, you can’t turn five yards into 60 yards. So it’s trying to, like I said, to stop the explosive gains and be good.”

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Mahomes on what he expects from Minnesota’s defense

Mahomes was also full of praise for the Minnesota wideout.

“What people don’t understand is how physical he is catching the football,” said Mahomes. “If you watch the games, he can go up and get it; he’ll put his body on the line because he loves competing and loves winning.”

Speaking more broadly about the Vikings’ defense, Mahomes added, “It’s going to be a well-coached defense.

“Coach Flores, I’ve played a couple times; him as a head coach, him as coordinator, and all different positions. They’re very well coached; they know the scheme and being in the right spots. They do a good mix of pressure and dropping out of pressure and trying to make it look the same. This will be a great challenge for us, and we’ll have to execute at a high level in order to have success this weekend.”