Pat McAfee is trying to clear the air with Minnesota Vikings fans after he says his words earlier this week were taken out of context. On Wednesday’s episode of The Pat McAfee Show, McAfee discussed how Dalvin Cook’s presence on the field helped Justin Jefferson put up huge numbers.
“Davlin Cook can absolutely still go,” McAfee said. “The reason why I think Justin Jefferson has all the things is because Dalvin Cook’s in the backfield. Now, (Alexander) Mattison’s going to have to earn that same type of respect from defenses, and I assume he will … but damn, if you’re a team that can pick up that respect in the box from one signing of a guy, that feels like an easy decision.”
"Dalvin Cook is an elite football player"@aqshipley #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/PXHyAhnV3g
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 28, 2023
Certainly a bold claim about a running back who’s yards per carry dropped for the second straight season to 4.4, ranking 22nd in the NFL among backs with at least 140 carries last season. Throw in the fact that Minnesota’s run game was 27th in Expected Points Added and the idea that Cook was the Vikings’ offense is a significant stretch.
McAfee tried to clear the air on Friday’s show.
“I have to talk to the Minnesota Vikings fans,” he began. “Vikings fans were f****** attacking me. I had an article written about me and then quote tweeting, they started coming after me.”
McAfee said his initial remarks about Cook weren’t meant to suggest that Cook is the only reason Jefferson led the NFL in receptions and receiving yards en route to being a finalist for the MVP award.
“It got pretty loud over there in Minnesota,” he continued. “I never said anything about Justin Jefferson not being incredible.”
“I’m just talking about fundamentally, whenever there is a star missing from the field, that is going change the way a defense looks at the whole thing. Never said Justin Jefferson wasn’t unbelievable,” he said.
I have MASSIVE respect for Justin Jefferson#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/oKbCoY8nP8
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 29, 2023
How much does Cook’s presence on the field help Jefferson? Let’s check the numbers…
In six career games without Cook in the lineup, Jefferson has 53 catches for 839 yards and four touchdowns. That’s an average of 8 catches for 139 yards a game when Dalvin has been absent. Those averages over a 17-game season would be 150 catches for 2,374 yards and 11 touchdowns.
You be the judge…
