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Vikings name rookie Jaren Hall starting QB against Packers

dane mizutani, pioneer press
·3 min read

The quarterback carousel continues for the Vikings.

After mulling over the decision for the past few days, head coach Kevin O’Connell confirmed that rookie quarterback Jaren Hall will start for the Vikings when they play host to the rival Green Bay Packers on New Year’s Eve.

“There’s a lot of reasons why we brought Jaren here, having to do with his ability and what we look forward to seeing come to life,” O’Connell said. “Just giving Jaren a full week of preparation and clear-cut mindset on the game plan, I’m excited to see what he can ultimately do.”

This means veteran quarterback Nick Mullens has been benched after starting the past two games for the Vikings. The decision comes after Mullens threw four interceptions in a 30-24 loss to the Detroit Lions on Christmas Eve. He also threw two interceptions in a 27-24 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals a couple of weeks ago.

As much as O’Connell appreciated how Mullens helped the offense be explosive, he couldn’t look past the turnovers, noting, “We have to maintain possession of the football.”

Earlier: Vikings rookie quarterback Jaren Hall was made for this moment.

That has been easier said than done with Mullens and journeyman Josh Dobbs seemingly incapable of limiting turnovers, which, in turn, has given Hall another kick at the can.

The most interesting part of this whole equation is the fact that, when franchise quarterback Kirk Cousins was injured a couple of months ago, Hall actually got the first chance at being his replacement. He came on in relief in a 24-10 win over Packers in Green Bay, then made the first start of his NFL career the next game in a 31-28 win over the Falcons in Atlanta.

Also: The story of each interception that doomed Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens.

The only problem is Hall only played a couple of series against the Falcons before suffering a concussion on a scramble near the goal line. That knocked him out of the game, and he finished his brief appearance 5 for 6 passing for 78 yards.

“It was a killer as he gained momentum in that game to lose him like we did,” O’Connell said. “It wasn’t lost on us some of the things Jaren was able to do in that game.”

Asked what he learned from the first start of his career, Hall spoke about the importance of picking his spots when he decides to use his legs. He suffered his concussion while trying to make something happen when he would have been better off going down.

“You’ve got to learn to play within the system and play the right way to avoid stuff like that,” Hall said. “It’s definitely something I’ve noted and hopefully will be better at.”

Asked about Hall, star receiver Justin Jefferson spoke highly of the way the rookie has prepared throughout this season.

“I feel like Jaren is definitely a great quarterback,” Jefferson said. “He has some potential to spark this offense up if we put him out there.”

As excited as O’Connell is to see Hall play this weekend, even he admitted he doesn’t necessarily know what to expect.

“There’s a lot of it that is unknown,” O’Connell said. “We’re going off of a lot of the strong feelings we have towards Jaren’s traits to play the position.”

It was a similar sentiment from Hall as he takes the reins knowing the Vikings need to win out in the final two games of the regular season to make the playoffs.

“I’m always confident in what I’m able to do,” Hall said. “I think I’ve gotten better in every area since I first got here, and there’s obviously a lot to still prove.”

  • The Minnesota Vikings will host the Green Bay Packers at 7:20 p.m. on Sunday — New Year’s Eve. Fans can watch the game on Channel 11 or tune in to 100.3 FM.

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