Justin Jefferson stated his goal for 2026 to media members Wednesday: "Just win. That's it."

"Personal goals don't really matter," he explained. "I'm going to get those whenever I get those."

He's achieved plenty so far based on all the records he's set and the pace he's on entering Year 7. But it makes total sense that Jefferson's public expression to break more is nondescript. He'd rather let his play on game days do the talking and wants to win meaningful games more than anything.

Studying Jefferson's film with him was a fun assignment for this writer while putting together a feature story that ran last season when he tied Larry Fitzgerald, Jr., as the youngest to 500 catches.

That's partly because rewinding through the nuances of Jefferson's game — his svelte routes, unparalleled competitiveness at catch points and surprising toughness for someone his size afterward — is a treat. His greatness shows up from the start of the snap through the final whistle.

Similarly, it's why we're recommending Alec Lewis' piece this week for The Athletic on what makes Jefferson exceptional. Lewis had the unique opportunity to learn from one of the people who knows Jefferson best: Vikings wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell, who caught 883 passes as a player.

That's to say, McCardell knows his stuff and is one of the best teachers in the sport. Lewis got intimate exposure to his methods and Jefferson's skill set during a recent exclusive film session.

We especially loved one part of Lewis' story where he brings the reader into the film review and reveals a term that is used among coaches and players when someone shies away from a block.

Fluffing up like a poodle!

Lewis wrote the following:

McCardell slaps the wooden desk beside him for effect.

"It doesn't matter if you're on the practice squad." (Bang.)

"It doesn't matter if you're the fourth guy on the depth chart." (Bang.)

"It doesn't matter if you're Justin Jefferson." (Bang. Bang. Bang.)

"This room is open to say poodle to the best player in the room. It's open to say this to the worst player in the room. It's always been that way," McCardell shared with Lewis. "As a player, if I don't have respect for the guy playing next to me, knowing he's going to do his job, then it's a problem."

Next, to emphasize Jefferson's completeness, McCardell transitioned to a play in the 2022 win in Buffalo — no, not the fourth-and-forever prayer that made "Jets" a living legend (they revisited that moment earlier) but a block before "the catch" that sprang Dalvin Cook for an 81-yard touchdown.

"Nobody remembers this," McCardell said. "But see what it did?"

McCardell continued: "I ask him (Jefferson) all the time: 'Can you do it in the run game, where a lot of people [won't get their hands dirty]? Can you be a complete guy? Do you want all the smoke?' "

The tape is evidence that Jefferson absolutely does. You can read Lewis' entire feature here.

Vikings Legends return to face Gophers

The 132^nd Border Battle is the obvious headliner this weekend, but there's another football game in town that's gaining interest: Minnesota against Mississippi State, and a slew of Vikings connections.

Drake Lindsey, grandson of the late Jim Lindsey, who was a Vikings second-round pick in 1966 and played seven seasons with the franchise, is the Gophers starting quarterback, and is highly touted.

But the other side has even more shades of Purple.

The Bulldogs are bringing a trio of former Vikings offensive linemen in Phil Loadholt, Brandon Fusco and Jon Cooper, as well as the sons of former Vikings players Steve Hutchinson and Moe Williams.

Loadholt and Fusco started on the right side of the line that blocked for Adrian Peterson when he rushed for 2,097 yards and was the 2012 NFL MVP. Hutchinson is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and teamed with Peterson for the running back's first five pro seasons (2007-11).

Chip Scoggins of the Star Tribune dove deeper into the Vikings reunion ahead of Saturday's kickoff.

In his article, he shared the backstory of Hutchinson's son, Luke, a freshman tight end, choosing to play for Mississippi State over a handful of other Division I programs. He also detailed how Loadholt got into coaching after debating a post-playing career in scouting, thanks to 'Coop' raising the idea.

The environment will be familiar, too, since Loadholt, Fusco and Cooper played a 2010 game at Huntington Bank Stadium after the Metrodome roof collapsed. Loadholt and Fusco were with the Vikings in the 2014 and 2015 seasons with home games at the U of M while U.S. Bank Stadium was under construction. Scoggins noted they're not here for nostalgia, though.

"We're going to go there with a job in mind," Cooper told him. "Not to relive glory days."

Click here to read Scoggins' full story and feel like it's a small world.

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