Justin Jefferson ended the longest touchdown drought of his career on Sunday, a score that was made possible thanks to bizarre special-teams penalty on the Falcons.
Jefferson scored the touchdown on a second-quarter pass from Sam Darnold to put the Vikings up 14-7 over Atlanta. The 12-yard strike was the sixth touchdown of the season for Jefferson and his first since Week 6 against the Lions. It added up to a six-game streak without a score for Jefferson.
The touchdown wouldn’t have happened if not for a drive-extending penalty on Atlanta’s special teams. The Falcons stopped the Vikings on third-and-15 earlier in the drive to force a field-goal attempt. Will Reichard was good from 39 yards on fourth-and-15, but the Vikings opted to take the points off the board after Falcons defensive lineman Kentavius Street was called for a hold.
The penalty was a mystery when it was called. And it’s unusual to see a defensive hold called on a field goal. The penalty’s generally called in the secondary when there are offensive players running downfield. There, of course, were no downfield runners on Minnesota’s field goal attempt.
Officials initially failed to identify Street as the offending player when they first announced it, and Falcons coach Raheem Morris frantically pleaded for an explanation.
Street lined up opposite of Minnesota right guard David Quessenberry and immediately fell to the turf toward Quessenberry’s legs on the play. Replay on the Fox broadcast didn’t offer further clarity, but the penalty was called, and it came with an automatic first down for the Vikings. Three plays later, Darnold found Jefferson in the end zone, and Jefferson’s touchdown drought was over.