Vikings film review: How a catch by K.J. Osborn last year helped set up Justin Jefferson’s 97-yard TD

There were questions about how much the Vikings could take from last year’s win over the San Francisco 49ers. After all, Kirk Cousins isn’t here anymore, Justin Jefferson wasn’t playing in that game, and half the defense has been remade.

But Kevin O’Connell and Vikings coaches saw something from the film from 2023, specifically from an 18-yard catch by receiver K.J. Osborn.

That play left meat on the bone against a standard 49ers coverage. When the matchup came back around in Sunday’s win over San Francisco, the Vikings capitalized with the second-longest touchdown pass in franchise history when Sam Darnold hit Jefferson for a 97-yard score.

“It actually goes back to a look we ran on them last year,” O’Connell said after the game. “Similar presentation, similar everything. That one has been in the hopper for a little bit. Did not know I would call it, backed up with our feet in the paint like that.”

A year ago, the Vikings opened the third quarter with a play-action shot that paired Osborn and Jordan Addison on the same side of the field and sent them deep. First down is a spot where the defense can safely expect a run. The 49ers loaded the box to stop the run. A single deep safety, Pro Bowler Talanoa Hufanga (#29), overlooked man-to-man coverage underneath.

In the video below, you’ll see Cousins’ play-action handoff draw in the 49ers front. That leaves three deep 49ers defenders to cover the vertical routes by Addison and Osborn. The route pattern, with Osborn cutting under Addison to run a deep over, creates separation from the defender covering Osborn. It also stresses Hufanga, the safety who must choose which receiver to cover.

Hufanga picks Osborn, who is still open for an 18-yard grab. But Addison was also open. A year later, Jefferson took Addison’s place and Jalen Nailor was in Osborn’s place in that play call.

Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips, in his 18th NFL season, said Jefferson’s touchdown is “one of the more memorable plays of my career.”

Phillips also said coaches were confident entering Sunday they had a big gain in their pocket whenever O’Connell revisited that play call. There were two key differences this time: Jefferson was playing after missing last year’s matchup due to a hamstring strain, and the route was altered.

“Slightly different,” Phillips said, “just in that instead of crossing the field, [Jefferson] leaned back out and then got over the top. Really, we had either one of them for a big gain, but I’m glad he threw it to Justin.”

Here’s the 2023 play in which Addison (#3) runs a deep post over crossing pattern by Osborn (#17).

Below is Sunday’s play in which Jefferson runs the deeper route, but this time he head fakes a corner route to the sideline and transitions into a deep go or skinny post. Nailor (#83) runs the crossing pattern.

Calling the play at the 3-yard line is one way to build confidence in Darnold.

“Maybe it’s subconsciously,” O’Connell said. “Maybe it is a little bit. I’m not really finding myself trying to really feel the need to build confidence. I think I’m going into these games confident in Sam to execute the plays that are called.”

Helping to lull the 49ers defense to sleep was the Week 1 win at the Giants, when O’Connell and Darnold began a 99-yard touchdown drive with conservative calls: a handoff, a quick play-action throw to the flat, another handoff.

Darnold said he appreciated the trust that O’Connell showed in just their second week together.

“It was a great call, obviously with them expecting some type of run play or a quick throw,” Darnold said. “You’re backed up and you want to — sometimes teams play conservative. You know, we did that last week. Backed up, throwing the ball in the flat to Ty [Chandler], playing it a little bit more conservative. For [O’Connell] to be able to call that play and the guys whatever in the booth or the offensive staff to be able to see that and call it, it shows, you know, just the trust that they have in me.”

Protection was a critical component in both the 2023 and 2024 versions of this play.

On Sunday, Darnold confidently stands in the pocket and lets the play develop downfield despite All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner charging through the center of the line. Center Garrett Bradbury fights through a key block on Warner, who got the one-on-one up the middle by 49ers defensive tackle Kevin Givens (#90) drawing Blake Brandel.

“Blitz in the A gap,” O’Connell said, “[Bradbury] getting that extra little touch to run him by Sam so we could step up. It’s Aaron Jones helping Ed’s [Ingram] inside right there on the interior rush. It’s Brian O’Neill straining to block [Nick] Bosa one-on-one on the edge. It’s all of those things that came together.”

Darnold uncorked a pass from his own end zone that traveled about 55 yards through the air before Jefferson caught it in stride. Jefferson sped past the man-to-man defender at the line, 49ers safety George Odum, while the deep safety, Ji’Ayir Brown, hesitated for a second on Nailor’s crossing pattern. Brown bailed to cover Jefferson, but it was too late.

“It was just a great, great ball from Sam,” Jefferson said, “to trust the double team and for me to run right through it. … Sam’s just got to trust me to beat [a double team] and to make a big play.”

Darnold was “ready to call the next play” when Jefferson throttled down around the 30-yard line and changed direction, forcing both pursuing defenders to lose ground.

“When he cut back,” Darnold said, “that’s when I kind of knew that we were going to score.”

Nailor has drawn praise for sprinting downfield and throwing a late block as Jefferson crossed the goal line. Players got a chuckle over back judge Tyree Walton sprinting with the players, too.

“Not just [Nailor], the official as well,” O’Connell said. “That was unbelievable. And the sneaky little change of direction there to flip his hips at the end, I showed the team that a little bit ago, and they were having a good time with that. I had [Nailor] about 30 yards behind Justin when he caught that ball. Play style is not just splitting your face mask on the other team and physicality, it’s finish. It’s straining to finish.”

“I was just trying to meet him at the end zone to celebrate with him,” Nailor said. “I saw him cut back, and your legs get heavy once you do that. Just tried to help get him in there.”

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Jefferson reached a top speed of 19.94 mph while covering 127.5 yards in distance.

Watch the finish to the 97-yard touchdown from two different angles in the video below:

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