Minnesota’s Jaren Hall passed for 162 yards and two touchdowns in the first half against Philadelphia’s backup players, leading the Vikings to a 26-3 win on Saturday in the preseason finale for both teams.
Hall completed 15 of 21 passes, with touchdown throws of 8 yards to Trishton Jackson and 4 yards to Justin Hall. A fifth-round pick in 2023, Hall is expected to be the Vikings’ No. 3 quarterback, behind Sam Darnold and Nick Mullens.
“I thought he did a great job,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. “He was efficient. He was playing fast. He’s put a lot of work in. Something he should be proud of, for sure.”
Hall commented, “Just a lot of rhythm. It started with the tempo up front. When you step on the field, play as fast as you can.”
Minnesota finished the preseason with a 3-0 record but faced a major setback when rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy tore the meniscus in his right knee against the Raiders on Aug. 10. He is out for the season.
“Just proud of our guys,” O’Connell said. “A culmination of what we’ve emphasized in training camp. Our guys are ready.”
Neither team used its starting quarterback. Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts didn’t play in the preseason for the second year in a row.
The Vikings held Darnold out of the game. Darnold was expected to face competition from first-round pick McCarthy until McCarthy’s injury.
Hurts’ absence from the preseason games has been a topic of discussion in Philadelphia, especially with new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore now calling the plays. The Eagles replaced both coordinators after last season’s late collapse.
When asked why Hurts didn’t play, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said, “I felt like we got enough work (in practice) to be ready.”
Kenny Pickett, the Eagles’ No. 2 quarterback, completed 6 of 9 passes for 58 yards while playing the first half. No. 3 QB Tanner McKee did not lead Philadelphia to any scoring drives while playing into the fourth quarter.
Philadelphia is working to recover after losing five of its last six games in 2023 and then being defeated 32-9 by Tampa Bay in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
With Hurts, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and new running back Saquon Barkley, the Eagles seem to have the offensive talent to aim for another Super Bowl appearance after losing to the Chiefs in the championship game following the 2022 season.
Brown, Smith, and Barkley were in street clothes along with the other starters on a pleasant, 82-degree day. Also not playing was Jahan Dotson, the wide receiver acquired from Washington in a trade on Thursday.
Dotson is a former first-round pick with 1,041 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns over two seasons.
“I’ve never been on a team with this much talent,” Dotson said. “I’m really excited for the opportunity.”
New defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, with his experience and an improved secondary, is expected to boost Philadelphia’s defense, which allowed 425 completed passes last season.
Only the Vikings (426) allowed more in 2023. However, Fangio’s second- and third-stringers couldn’t stop the Vikings on Saturday.
Fangio got a good look at cornerback Cooper DeJean. This rookie second-round pick played into the second half after missing much of training camp and the first two preseason games due to a hamstring injury.
DeJean was penalized for illegal contact early in the first quarter, which nullified a Philadelphia interception. He also had some strong moments, defending a possible touchdown pass and making a good tackle.
“It was good to get him out there playing meaningful snaps,” Sirianni said. “We’re excited about his potential.”
