Minnesota Vikings’ superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson is used to facing weird, creative coverages.
But the 25-year-old probably won’t see them as often against the 49ers in Week 2.
Jefferson, preparing for San Francisco’s Sunday trip to Minnesota’s U.S. Bank Stadium, has noticed his opponent often plays elite wideouts mano a mano — a vote of confidence from the Super Bowl LVIII runner-ups.
“We feel they have a pretty consistent tendency with what they play and how they play No. 1 receivers,” Jefferson told reporters about the 49ers on Thursday (h/t Minnesota Vikings). “So, we have a game plan for that. We’ve been in the film room, so.
“It’s something we’ve been dealing with for the past three years since [Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell] has been here. It’s just something to work on. We feel like we’re going to get man coverage throughout the game, but we just need to win those one-on-one battles.”
On Monday night against the New York Jets, the 49ers played the 10th-most man coverage (33 percent) of any team to begin the 2024 NFL season, per Pro Football Focus.
AP All-Pro cornerback Charvarius Ward and San Francisco’s secondary limited New York star receiver Garrett Wilson to a subpar 60 yards receiving and zero touchdowns; meanwhile, Jefferson collected a score and a 44-yard reception in the Vikings’ win over the New York Giants.
Against man coverage last season, Jefferson averaged 18.9 yards per reception and totaled 642 yards receiving — only the Philadelphia Eagles’ A.J. Brown had more yards.
Jefferson isn’t sure what first-year defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen and the 49ers will throw at him in Sunday’s matinee. However, the league’s highest-paid wideout is betting on himself to win all matchups anyway.
“I’m always confident in my play style and my ability to get open versus man-to-man coverage,” Jefferson said. “But I feel like I haven’t got man-to-man coverage in a very long time. That’s going to be very difficult to adjust to. I’m confident, always, going against those double teams and triple teams or whatever the defense throws at me.
“If they play man-to-man, we love it; we have plays for that and routes to beat that. I have said countless times to Sam [Darnold], ‘Throw up those one-on-one battles and give me an opportunity at the ball.’”
The former 49ers quarterback probably should lob a few deep balls Jefferson’s way after news of fellow Vikings receiver Jordan Addison’s (ankle) Week 2 absence broke Friday morning.
Jefferson hopes San Francisco lets him play one-on-one football, but he might be underselling the 49ers’ secondary.
“I love man-to-man coverage,” Jefferson reiterated. “That’s something that I feed off of. But I’m also looking for the double team, the safety help over the top, and we have plays for that.”
Another part of the discussion, though, is Deommodore Lenoir. He and Ward likely will alternate babysitting Jefferson for much of the game and presumably will face a fair share of targets.
“I feel like he’s the best receiver in the league,” Lenoir told reporters Thursday. “This week, I’m going to have to be on my A-game. If he comes to my side or if I’m in the slot — I just got to be locked in this week.”
Lenoir and the 49ers haven’t seen the fifth-year veteran since he had nine receptions for 83 yards in a matchup during the 2021 season. The Vikings, though, did upset the 49ers in Week 7 last season with Jefferson sidelined due to a hamstring injury.
Jefferson and the 1-0 Vikings facing the 1-0 49ers should be a good matchup for both teams. Lenoir, who has been a 49ers staple between the boundaries, is eager to potentially match up with Jefferson.
“For sure. This is something that I’ve been waiting on,” Lenoir said about Sunday being an “opportunity.” “You know, just to go against the best. You always want to put your game up against the best just to see how you do and how you look, and get to the drawing board, and then fix it up.”
We will see on Sunday who, between Jefferson and the 49ers’ defense, are the ones doing the fixing in the rematch of the 2023 “Monday Night Football” thriller.