Prior to the 2022 NFL season, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson said he wanted to cement his name atop the list of the best wide receivers in the league.
Justin Jefferson gave us the clutch catch of the NFL season against the Bills
Watch as Justin Jefferson turns in perhaps the greatest catch you will ever see
Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images
Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, Jefferson might have done just that.
Jefferson caught 8 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown in Minnesota’s game against the Buffalo Bills — more on how that finished in a moment — but a catch on the Vikings’ final drive of the game could go down in history as one of the best catches ever.
With the Vikings trailing by four with under two minutes remaining, Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins dropped into the pocket and looked to the right side of the field, where Jefferson was running a route breaking towards the sideline. Cousins lofted a throw in Jefferson’s direction and, well, just watch what happened:
Somehow, some way, Jefferson skies over the defender and reaches back, pulling in the throw with one hand. From this replay angle, you can see how Jefferson snatches this throw away from cornerback Cam Lewis:
Here is yet one more look at the incredible effort from Jefferson:
And for good measure, a pair of still images to showcase just how incredible it was for Jefferson to pull in this throw:
The Vikings, however, would fail to score on the drive, as Cousins was stuffed on a quarterback sneak on a 4th and goal play. That play from the Buffalo defense set the stage for a finish that, well, defied all sorts of conventional wisdom. Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen fumbled the snap on the ensuing play, and the Vikings recovered for a touchdown to take the lead by three with the extra point.
Still, the game was not over, and Allen drove the Bills down the field and got the Buffalo offense into field goal range. Kicker Tyler Bass split the uprights, sending the game into overtime.
Given that the finish might be the big storyline coming out of this game, however, we wanted to just take a minute and highlight what very well could be the best catch you will ever see.
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