Jaren Hall leads Vikings past Eagles 26-3 in preseason finale for both teams

PHILADELPHIA, PA – In the final preseason game for both teams, the Minnesota Vikings defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 26-3 on Saturday. Vikings quarterback Jaren Hall had an impressive performance, throwing for 162 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. Hall, who was drafted in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, completed 15 of his 21 passes, including an 8-yard touchdown to Trishton Jackson and a 4-yard touchdown to Justin Hall. Despite the solid performance, Hall is expected to be the Vikings’ No. 3 quarterback behind Sam Darnold and Nick Mullens.

The Eagles, on the other hand, did not play their starting quarterback, Jalen Hurts, who has not participated in preseason games for two years. Philadelphia’s coach Nick Sirianni justified Hurts’ absence by stating that the team got enough practice work. The Eagles’ backup quarterback, Kenny Pickett, managed 58 yards on 6 of 9 passing attempts in the first half. Tanner McKee, the No. 3 quarterback, struggled, failing to lead the team to any scoring drives while playing into the fourth quarter.

The Eagles are coming off a tough end to the 2023 season, losing five of their last six games and being defeated 32-9 by Tampa Bay in the wild-card playoffs. With key players like Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and newly acquired running back Saquon Barkley, the Eagles have a strong offensive lineup that aims for another Super Bowl run after their loss to the Chiefs in the 2022 championship game.

On the defensive side, the Eagles have made changes with new coordinator Vic Fangio and an improved secondary. Despite this, the second- and third-string defense struggled against the Vikings. Rookie cornerback Cooper DeJean, a second-round pick, had a mixed performance. While he showed potential with solid plays, he also committed an illegal contact penalty that negated a Philadelphia interception.

Overall, the preseason finale highlighted promising performances for the Vikings and some concerns for the Eagles as they prepare for the regular season.