It’s safe to assume that star receiver Justin Jefferson won’t play in the preseason game between the Vikings and the Browns on Saturday afternoon in Cleveland. The same goes for veteran quarterback Sam Darnold as he now is the unquestioned starter in Minnesota.

Frankly, after rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy played last week’s exhibition game and suffered a torn meniscus, the Vikings more than likely will keep most of their important players in bubble wrap for the remainder of the exhibition slate.

That’s why the joint practices between the Vikings and Browns this week were so important. Not only did it give head coach Kevin O’Connell a chance to see how the Vikings fared in a highly competitive environment, it gave Darnold and Jefferson a chance to continue to get on the same page.

“He’s still trying to get used to me,” Jefferson said of Darnold. “Just how I run my routes and where I’m at on the field.”

Not that it’s been too difficult for Darnold to get comfortable with Jefferson.

“He makes it easier,” Darnold said. “I can put it dang near anywhere and he’ll be able to come down with it.”

That has been on display a number of times throughout training camp at TCO Performance Center this summer, as Darnold has launched a deep ball downfield, and Jefferson has chased it down for a big gain. There is still some room for improvement, however, and the final sequence of joint practices between the Vikings and Browns this week showcased that it real time.

It was a situational drill and the Vikings got the ball on offense needing to go the length of the field to tie the score. There was about a minute left on the clock, so they had to work quickly. After having some success moving the ball early in the drive, Darnold threw incomplete to Jefferson a few times in a row, then ended the possession with an interception.

“I think Justin is a guy that always brings out the best in the guys covering him,” O’Connell said. “It was a really, really good couple of days of work for him.”

Asked about that particular stretch during which Darnold overthrew him a few times, Jefferson chose to give credit to the secondary on the other side rather than blame anybody else.

“We’re going up against a top defense in the league,” Jefferson said. “Every ball is not going to be perfect. The overthrows happen. The underthrows happen.”

That said, Jefferson has made a habit of making people look good throughout his career, proving that as long as he has a chance to get his hands on the ball, he’s capable of making something spectacular happen. After doing it for three former Vikings quarterbacks — franchise QB Kirk Cousins, journeyman Josh Dobbs and veteran Nick Mullens — in the past, Jefferson plans on doing the exact same thing for Darnold moving forward.

“I always tell Sam or J.J. or Nick or whoever is back there, ‘Just give me an opportunity,’ ” Jefferson said. “I’m going to make their job a little easier.”

Related Articles

Vikings sign quarterback Matt Corral, place rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy on IR

The Loop 2024 Fantasy Football Prevew: Our non-favorites — Vikings aren’t looking like fantasy gold this season

‘He’s a freak of nature’: How star edge rusher Myles Garrett helped the Vikings get better

Sam Darnold is now the unquestioned starter in Minnesota. What does that mean for the Vikings?

Vikings receiver Jordan Addison carted off field during joint practices with Browns