'I'm way bigger than I look': Vikings, Jefferson and Rodgers send NFL a message

The Vikings sent a message to the NFL on Sunday by destroying the Bengals 48-10. At the same time, Justin Jefferson and Isaiah Rodgers were sending their own messages.

Jefferson, already well established as one of the best receivers in the league, didn't light up the box score. He only had five catches for 75 yards. But he did break tackles with powerful after-catch running, while also buckling in for physical blocks to help Jordan Mason run for 116 yards and two scores.

"When people look at me they don't really expect me to be as physical as I am. But that's the type of game that I like playing," Jefferson said after Minnesota's dominant game. "That physicality, showing people that I might look this way but I'm way bigger than what I look. It's just about setting that tone, setting that momentum. I like to make the most of every opportunity that I get. Every yard matters."

Jefferson has 12 catches for 200 yards and one touchdown in three games. It's not the pace fans are used to seeing Jefferson catch the ball, but that's largely due to Minnesota sporting a banged-up offensive line, no Jordan Addison (suspension) and two different quarterbacks through three weeks — one who is 22 years old (J.J. McCarthy) and the other (Carson Wentz) who signed with the Vikings less than a month ago.

But if the effort over the Bengals was a sign of things to come, Jefferson and the Vikings might be on the verge of an offensive explosion.