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Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell isn’t happy with some of the hits from wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
Jefferson, who suffered a hit Saturday that gave Colts cornerback Stephon Gilmore an unnecessary penalty, has made repeated illegal hits and O’Connell believes opposing teams are targeting him.
“I think it’s about the fifth or sixth straight week that he’s taken some kind of hit that pulled a flag. There’s definitely an emphasis on the teams we play against that some of these hits, they don’t seem to be random sometimes,” O’Connell said of the St. Paul Pioneer Press’s Chris Tomasson.
Jefferson leads the NFL with 1,623 yards this season and has a chance to break the NFL’s all-time record for yards received in a single season. He is clearly the player the opposing defense focuses on. But O’Connell believes teams are doing more than just focusing on Jefferson and intentionally illegally shooting him. And by speaking about it publicly, perhaps he’s hoping officials and the league office will keep a closer eye on it in the future.