Justin Jefferson and the Minnesota Vikings triumphed over the Chicago Bears 30-27 in Week 12. Although Week 13 had already begun and the Bears were preparing for their Thanksgiving Day game against the Detroit Lions, the Vikings’ victory was still on the minds of many in Chicago.
Bears safety Jaquan Brisker responded to Jefferson’s comments about defenses having to choose between letting him dominate or allowing others to shine. Jefferson had suggested that, against the Bears, defenders chose to focus on other players. Brisker, however, disagreed, attributing Jefferson’s lack of impact to the strong performance of Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson.
On social media, Brisker defended Johnson’s abilities, saying, “This is actually called the Jaylon Johnson effect lol… so he couldn’t go off.” He continued, praising Johnson as “the best CB in the league” and urging people to recognize his skill.
Jefferson made his comment about defenders’ options in a pre-game interview, stating, “It’s either let Justin go off or let everybody else go off. I’m gonna let everybody else go off.” In the game itself, Jefferson was limited to just two catches for 27 yards, marking his lowest output in an overtime game. However, he did draw a critical pass interference penalty on Johnson, which set up a touchdown shortly after.
Despite the frustration of not having a bigger impact, Jefferson acknowledged the win mattered most: “I always want to have an impact on the game… but we got the win and that’s all that matters.”
Although his personal numbers were down, the Vikings’ offense flourished with Jordan Addison (162 yards), T.J. Hockenson (114 yards), and a season-high 106 rushing yards from Aaron Jones. It marked the first time in 24 years that the Vikings had a 300-yard passer, two 100-yard receivers, and a 100-yard rusher in the same game.
Brisker, who has been sidelined due to injury, expressed his absence on social media after a touchdown by Addison but later deleted the post. The Bears and Vikings will face off again in Week 15 in Minnesota, with Brisker eligible to return from injured reserve for that matchup. The Vikings have dominated the rivalry recently, winning six of the last seven games.