NFL receiving yards record: How Justin Jefferson passed Calvin Johnson in the Vikings’ Week 18 game against the Bears

With the NFL’s regular season now spanning 17 games and a wide range of receiving talent off the charts, it feels inevitable that Calvin Johnson’s one-season receiving yards record will eventually fall.

The Cooper Cup was serious about the record last season with just under 17 yards, but two new contenders emerged earlier this season: Miami’s Tyreek Hill and Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson.

As the season progresses, Jefferson continues to rack up impressive numbers, establishing himself as the only player capable of threatening Johnson’s record. , Week 18 offers Jefferson a chance for revenge.

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Here’s what Jefferson has to do in Week 18 to break Johnson’s record.

What is the NFL record for receiving yards in a single season?

Calvin Johnson set a single-season receiving record in 2012, finishing with 1,964 yards, beating Jerry Rice’s previous record by more than 100 yards.

Since then, both Julio Jones and Antonio Brown have posted 1,800 yards on the season, plus near misses from last season’s Cup have brought other players pretty close, but no one has broken the record or made 2,000 yards. I did not put any marks on it.

How good is the Bears’ pass defense?

The Bears allow more yards on a single attempt than any team in the league, with a 7.2 mark.

The team doesn’t pass often against Chicago. In fact, the Bears are facing his second fewest pass attempts in the league. This is to be expected given the Bears are on his 3-13 record and teams tend to build early leads against them.

If the goal is to put Jefferson in record-breaking position, a Vikings team happy to pass can throw the ball often against the Bears in Week 18.

Learn More: NFL Schedule Week 18: Latest updates, times and dates for all football games

What are the chances of Justin Jefferson breaking the record?

On the surface, Jefferson is unlikely to reach Johnson’s record. He was 15 yards in Week 17 and he had only one catch. That means you need big performance to finish over 1,964 yards.

Jefferson needs 193 yards to match the record and 194 yards to break it. He’s already got 223 and 193 yards a game this season, but as long as the 49ers beat the Cardinals, Jefferson will be nearing 200 yards in a game the Vikings won’t move up or down the standings. is not a safe bet.

MORE: Packers’ Jaile Alexander teases Vikings’ Justin Jefferson

That said, I’ve seen teams try to put players in record positions. At the end of the 2020 season, the Buccaneers kept Mike Evans in a pointless game until he recorded his seventh consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season.

That same day, Derrick Henry reached the prestigious mark by receiving a season-high 34 carries while entering a 2,000-yard rushing season shy of 223 yards.

If the Vikings realize they can split the Bears’ secondary, Minnesota may try to balance keeping Jefferson healthy while giving him enough targets to get serious about his record. .

NFL 1 season receiving yards leader