This is the player Jefferson expected to be when he left Oklahoma in 2013, although no one drafted him. This is the player he knew he was when he hit restricted free agency this March, although the Cardinals gave him the lowest tender and no other team signed him to an offer sheet.

If only every week of the year was a game week.

"I hate free agency," Jefferson said. "I hate all that. If it was a perfect world, I wish we could all just stay with the team where you go. Obviously it doesn't work that way. Obviously I didn't get what I wanted this offseason, so that does fuel me -- still being overlooked and undervalued. It's my year to show."

The pending unrestricted free agent has proven plenty so far, taking over as a chief play-maker in the secondary as safety Tyrann Mathieu returns slowly from a torn ACL. Jefferson has been around the ball constantly, recovering a fumble, bringing down ballcarriers and even harassing quarterbacks on the blitz.

"I'm honestly just going out there playing football a lot smarter than I have been and a lot more aggressive than I have been," Jefferson said. "I just feel more comfortable."

Much of that came from his offseason preparation. Jefferson dropped weight to get faster and dropped social media to study more.

"I've always thought he was a great tackler; I've always thought he was underrated in coverage," Mathieu said. "I think he's really putting it all together this year. He had a great offseason. I think he's got like six percent body fat, so he's been really focused. It's a big year for him. A contract year, he's got a son now -- he's got a lot of different things motivating him."

Jefferson is aware of the pivotal offseason coming up, but now he's back in the comfort zone of the regular season, focused on the jewelry he can earn regardless of the size of his next contract.

"I'm happy, beyond blessed, to be in the situation I am now," Jefferson said. "I worked my tail off, and it's only been two games so I'm not getting hung up on what the stats are now. I'm just trying to get a Super Bowl ring and do what I can do to help this team."

EVAN MATHIS WON'T PLAY AGAINST BILLS