Justin Jefferson dedicates Monday Night Football performance to Randy Moss as Vikings and Falcons prevail in doubleheader
By Wayne Sterling and Homero De la Fuente, CNN
(CNN) — The NFL’s Week 15 concluded with the league’s final Monday Night Football doubleheader of the season.
The playoff bound-Minnesota Vikings easily defeated the Chicago Bears 30-12 for their seventh straight victory. The Vikings clinched a playoff berth Sunday following the Seattle Seahawks 30-13 defeat to the Green Bay Packers.
Before Monday’s game, former Vikings receivers Chris Carter and Jake Reed showed support for their former teammate Randy Moss by holding up his #84 jersey during the coin toss at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The fans chanted, “Randy! Randy!”
Moss announced Friday he is being treated for cancer.
Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson also honored the Pro Football Hall of Famer in the first quarter.
After a seven-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Sam Darnold to give the Vikings a 10-0, Jefferson celebrated saying to the camera, ”We love you, Randy! That’s for you.”
Moss posted on X, “LUV U ALL! #letsmosscancer”
“I definitely wanted to give a tribute to him on one of my touchdowns. It was just great to have it done in the first quarter and the first one,” Jefferson said about the Moss tribute while wearing his jersey after the game.
“Definitely got to show that love to him. Grateful for what he has done for this game and what he has done for me as a kid, just watching him and being a fan of him. I always got to show love towards him.”
The Vikings would go on to take a 13-0 halftime lead.
In the second half, Minnesota added two one-yard touchdown runs, one by running back Aaron Jones in the third quarter and the other by running back Cam Akers in the fourth to stretch the lead to 27-6.
Darnold was 24-40 for 231 yards with a touchdown and interception. Jefferson had seven receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown.
The Vikings improved to 12-2 and are in a three-way tie with the Detroit Lions and the Philadelphia Eagles for the best record in the NFC. The Bears dropped to 4-10.
Next up: Minnesota travels to the Emerald City to take on the Seahawks while the Bears host the Lions on Sunday.
Falcons end four-game skid to remain in playoff hunt
The Atlanta Falcons held on late to defeat the Las Vegas Raiders 15-9 on Monday night to snap a four-game losing streak.
Led by a stingy Falcons defense that didn’t allow a touchdown until late in the fourth quarter, forced three turnovers and blocked two punts, Atlanta haunted its former starting quarterback Desmond Ridder and handed the Raiders a 10th straight loss.
With the victory, the Falcons improved to 7-7 on the season to remain in second place in the NFC South, behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6).
As things stand, the Falcons have a 37% chance at securing a playoff berth, according to NFL.com. Their best chance at a playoff spot would be through the division, as the odds of clinching a wild-card berth are further out of reach.
“For us to go out there and find a way to win. I think the most important thing when you come off a couple losses in a row. Particularly the Falcons, you want your Falcons fans to feel good about it. You got to find a way to win and you gain confidence through getting wins and I think that’s what our guys did today,” Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said after the game.
Atlanta opened the scoring in the first quarter, when Kirk Cousins connected with receiver Drake London for a 30-yard touchdown to give the Falcons a 7-0 lead.
In a mostly defensive contest, both teams struggled to get much going in the first half.
The Raiders opened the second half by forcing a turnover, after Robert Spillane picked off Cousins. The Falcons quarterback has struggled as of late, with turnovers being one of the main issues. Entering Monday night, Cousins had thrown eight interceptions and zero touchdowns during the four-game skid.
However, the Falcons’ defense stepped up on the ensuing possession forcing the Raiders to a three-and-out and then blocked the punt attempt.
Las Vegas scored a touchdown with just under three minutes left to cut the deficit to 15-9, but the Raiders’ extra point attempt was blocked by the Falcons – the third blocked kick attempt of the night.
Just as the game appeared to be over, the Raiders began to march down the field on the final possession of the game.
In a battle against the game clock, Las Vegas had two shots to get into the endzone from the Falcons’ 35-yard line, but the second attempt was intercepted by Jessie Bates III as time expired.
Next up: Atlanta will host the New York Giants while the Raiders will play the Jacksonville Jaguars in Las Vegas on Sunday.
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