The Minnesota Vikings won all three preseason matchups after failing to win one between 2021 and 2023 (the 2020 preseason was canceled). Saturday’s 26-3 win over the Philadelphia Eagles was the team’s first win by more than 16 points since the 2019 season when Philip Rivers’ Chargers were Mike Zimmer’s victims.
Two Unlikely Vikings Heroes Emerged in Preseason Game 3
Of course, the results aren’t as important as the individual player performances, and a couple of unlikely Vikings shined in preseason contest number three.
Jaren Hall
Quarterback Jaren Hall had a much more eventful rookie season than all parties anticipated. He was selected in the fifth round to be a developmental quarterback who can be a long-term backup. Nobody expected him to see the field in his debut season.
That theory was blown to smithereens by Kirk Cousins’ torn Achilles tendon. Backup Nick Mullens was on IR with a back injury, and Hall was suddenly asked to start an NFL game. A promising second drive ended with the medical staff taking him to the locker room with a concussion, and Dobbs-mania was launched.
Later in the year, Hall was inserted a second time into the lineup as Mullens and Dobbs struggled with turnovers, and he was clearly overwhelmed by the bright lights against the Green Bay Packers in a must-win showdown.
Year two started with Sam Darnold’s and J.J. McCarthy’s arrival, demoting Hall to QB4. McCarthy’s injury elevated him back to QB3, but that doesn’t guarantee a roster spot. The Vikes could still acquire a different guy to be the emergency QB or carry only two passers, especially after a shaky first preseason game.
However, he looked much more comfortable on Saturday, dropping some dimes to his receivers. An early overthrow and a negated interception were followed by phenomenal play. His final numbers show 17 of 25 passes completed for 189 yards and two touchdowns.
He knows the playbook, is familiar with the receivers and the locker room in general, and has shown some steps in the right direction, making him a strong candidate to stay beyond Tuesday’s cutdown day.
Andre Carter II
Last year, most pundits viewed Andre Carter II as a mid-round draft pick; some even thought he could sneak into the first two rounds. A horrendous Senior Bowl and subpar pre-draft measurements dropped him into the undrafted free-agency pool.
The Vikings snagged him and Ivan Pace. While the latter exploded into stardom early in his career, Carter was a depth player, logging 68 defensive snaps and 142 special teams reps through 12 games in his rookie season. Like Hall, he was not ready for NFL football, coming from the Army, where he couldn’t fully prepare his body for football.
Andrew Van Ginkel, Jonathan Greenard, and Dallas Turner will be the new outside linebacker trio, followed by depth pieces Pat Jones and Jihad Ward. Gabriel Murphy and Bo Richter have also turned some heads in the last few weeks and months.
Carter is in danger of losing his roster spot. On Saturday, however, he dominated Philadelphia’s depth blockers. PFF credited him with four QB pressures, two sacks, one QB hit, and one QB hurry. Carter also forced a fumble.
It might be too late for him to make the 53-man roster, but he flashed some potential, which will lead to some internal conversations between the coaches and the front office.
