Even though Justin Jefferson leads the Vikings in receiving yards, Carlton Davis will likely have to shadow Adam Thielen for the majority of the matchup this weekend. Thielen and Kirk Cousins have undeniable chemistry, and the Bucs will have to use someone else on Jefferson.
More from The Pewter Plank
- Devin White posts cryptic message to Lavonte David on Twitter
- ESPN predicts surprising outcome to Devin White trade saga
- Updated Buccaneers depth chart after signing two players from rookie minicamp
- Todd Bowles sends clear message about Baker Mayfield’s role with Bucs
- The Athletic is wrong about Bucs one ‘must-watch’ game in 2023
For this reason, Jefferson could cause some significant problems on Sunday. The Buccaneer secondary has taken several steps back over the past few weeks, and Jefferson’s big-play ability could wreak havoc on whoever he is lined up against.
While Cousins’ arm isn’t the strongest in the league, his deep ball is better than most would think, and everyone saw what the deep ball does against this secondary last week.
The Buccaneers will need Jamel Dean and Sean Murphy-Bunting to have a phenomenal game if they hope to keep Jefferson from having too substantial an impact on the game. If Davis is forced to switch off to slow Jefferson down, Thielen could have a field day against the soft coverage the Buccaneers have utilized recently.
Jefferson has emerged as one of the best wide receivers in the NFL as a rookie, and the Buccaneers can’t afford to overlook this mismatch during the coming game.