Following their season-opening win over the Carolina Panthers, the Chicago Bears are gearing up for a crucial NFC North matchup against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, where Chicago's defense is looking to redeem themselves after a rough outing.
Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who's coming off a rough game, will face a familiar foe in Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson. The two have gone against each other plenty of times since Jefferson and Johnson entered the league in 2020. They may be division rivals, but Johnson has a lot of respect for Justin Jefferson.
“Justin’s always been, I would say, top one or two, I would say since probably his second year in the league,” Johnson said. “A guy who makes really good catches, runs good routes. I don’t
think there’s a flaw to his game. Just somebody you look forward to.”
Jefferson is coming off his first multi-touchdown game since November of 2024 against the Seattle Seahawks. He hit a bit of a slump in 2025 when J.J. McCarthy was his quarterback. However, with Carson Wentz most likely in the lineup for this game, the strategy will most likely be to feed Jefferson the ball no matter who is on him.
Johnson is coming off a rough game of his own, giving up 127 passing yards on five completions. He also had two missed tackles which is the most missed tackles he has recorded in a game since November of 2024. It also tied his third-most missed tackles in a game.
If the Bears are going to win this game without it being a shootout, they are going to need Johnson to shut down Jefferson. Chicago has found some success against Jefferson in the past, particularly in 2024 when they held him to two receptions for 27 yards in an overtime loss. The Bears also held him to just 38 yards in the last game of the 2023 season. That is the kind of success Chicago needs this weekend.
Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears CB Jaylon Johnson can't find a flaw in Justin Jefferson's game
