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What We Learned From the Vikings’ Preseason Finale

Aug 24, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Jaren Hall (16) calls out before the snap during the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.

Credit: Caean Couto-USA TODAY Sports

By Shane Mickle on August 25, 2024

Saturday’s game between the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles may not have featured many starters, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t learn anything from the action. Let’s look at the main takeaways from the Vikings’ 26-3 victory. 

The Kids Are Hall Right

When an offense scores 26 points and looks impressive for most of the afternoon, there’s going to be a lot of credit to go around. Let’s start by giving Jaren Hall his flowers. The second-year QB looked lost in Week 1 of the preseason, threw for two touchdowns during limited action in Week 2, and saw sustained success on Saturday. Hall completed 17 of his 25 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns. 

 

He showed off an accurate arm and is starting to show signs of being a legitimate backup option for this team. Hall did exit the game a leg injury, but that’s not expected to play a factor into whether he makes or misses the cut. Hall will be on an NFL roster this season, the Vikings just have to decide if that will be in Minnesota.

In Good Hands

Hall had such a huge game in part because his wide receivers stepped up and made big plays. Just a few weeks ago, there was concern about the Vikings’ depth behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Now those worries have turned to excitement, as the position looks like one of the deepest on the roster.

Lucky Jackson is having a huge preseason, punctuated by the four passes he hauled in for 53 yards, including the following spectacular grab.

Minnesota has so many receivers on the roster that they’re shifting them to other positions. N’Keal Harry, who made the switch to tight end this offseason, had some great catches of his own. Harry is still a long shot to make the roster, but he could be an asset if Minnesota can smuggle him to the practice squad.

 

Not-So-OK Corral

As great as the offense looked with Hall under center, things changed once Matt Corral entered the game. To be fair, Corral has only been with the Vikings for about a week, so we can maybe take his performance with a grain of salt. But in the preseason you have to make the most out of every opportunity, no matter how challenging. Unfortunately, Corral’s impression on the Vikings coaching staff fell short of the Josh Dobbs Gold Standard.

Dazzling “D”

The Vikings’ defense played well, holding Philadelphia to just three points, with several great individual performances. Linebacker Andre Carter II was a problem all afternoon for the Eagles. He finished with four tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble. Brian Asamoah and Dallas Gant were also flying around and finished with seven tackles apiece. 

 

The defensive line didn’t have a standout player, but it was a balanced attack where everyone looked solid. James Lynch, who has talked about being on the bubble, made a good case for himself finishing with a couple of tackles and a fumble recovery.

The Vikings’ secondary, which is notably the Vikings’ weak spot, may have inspired hope with their performance. Jay Ward was stifling in coverage and picked off a ball that kept the Eagles out of the end zone in the third quarter. 

Big Willie Style

At this point, buying into a Vikings kicker is like Charlie Brown expecting Lucy to not pull away the football. We get that. But damn it, the Vikings may have a special kicker. Will Reichard could be the answer this team has been searching for over the last few decades. The Vikings gave the rookie kicker an opportunity to boot a 57-yarder in the fourth quarter, and it looked like it would have been good from 70. 

The young Alabama product looks like he has the potential to help Vikings fans finally get past their woeful history. (Who are we kidding? We’ll never get over it!)

Picking KOC’s Brain

During the third quarter, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell joined the KFAN broadcast. The cool moment provided great insight into how a coach’s mind works during a game and even what type of things they talk to the officials about. 

Some in-game interviews can get a bit annoying, but KFAN has done a great job of drawing illuminating comments out of coaches and players throughout the preseason. 

With the Vikings’ win, the preseason is over. Minnesota will work on reducing their roster to 53 and then start getting ready for the New York Giants.

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