The Minnesota Vikings had mixed feelings after beating the Green Bay Packers 24-10 on the road last week. Generally, you’d celebrate a two-score win over a division rival on the road. However, Kirk Cousins suffered a torn Achilles tendon against Green Bay in the midst of the best play of his career, dampening his teammates’ spirits. Now fans are wondering how the team will respond without their exemplary leader and field general at under center.
Losing Cousins came as the pendulum of fate seemed to be swinging back into Minneosta’s favor. But unless Cousins experiences a recovery more improbable than the one Aaron Rodgers claims to be experiencing, the Vikings will be without their starting quarterback until the 2024 season — if he comes back at all.
They will roll with Jaren Hall, their fifth-round selection out of BYU, in Atlanta, looking to see whether he can be a capable starter this year. Hall will be matched up against Minnesota’s old friend Taylor Heinicke, who replaced former Atlanta starter Desmond Ridder at the half of their matchup against the Tennessee Titans.
Hall has played 11 snaps and is a total unknown at quarterback. Fans are hopeful for a Brock Purdy-esque career arc for the rookie, but it’s probably wise to set expectations quite a bit lower than the quarterback who has gone 13-4 in his first 17 games.
But with an incredible offensive line and good weapons, Hall will be will be in position to perform at a solid level immediately. However, he will not have full command over checks at the line in Atlanta. The Vikings will likely run a simplified version of the offense catered toward bringing the rookie up to NFL speed.
Hall has a capable arm. If he can function as a game manager, the Vikings will be in solid position to win most of the games during their easiest stretch of the schedule.
Kevin O’Connell discussed Minnesota’s attempt to ease any nerves Hall may feel in his first start. Hall did not make any critical mistakes in limited action against the Packers (assuming, I guess, we’re not classifying that fumble near the end zone a critical mistake.)
Hall has the opportunity to be the author of a second storybook run from a BYU rookie this season, following in the footsteps of former teammate Puka Nacua. He has a strong supporting cast and could exceed the typical expectations for a fifth-round rookie.
The Falcons have the PFF’s ninth-ranked defense, with the first-overall-graded run defense. However, the usually stout defensive line just lost the disruptive interior player Grady Jarrett to a torn ACL. Alexander Mattison and Cam Akers should see a larger batch of touches than they have through the first eight games of the season. They will need to run the ball more efficiently to take pressure off of Hall.
On the defensive side, the Vikings will face perhaps their least fearsome quarterback matchup yet. The Vikings will face old friend Heinicke, an elusive quarterback who threw two touchdowns and an interception against Minnesota with the Washington Commanders in 2022.
Heinicke started for the Falcons in the second half of their matchup against the Tennessee Titans in Week 8 and performed admirably. He finished 12/21 for 175 yards and a touchdown. Heinicke also finished with two rushes for 14 yards and has plenty of starting experience, with 25 games under his belt. PFF gave Heinicke a 49.8 grade in his last comprehensive action at quarterback, giving him a grade of 73 for play action.
The Falcons have a bottom-tier offense in EPA/pass, with a strong rushing game built on running back Bijan Robinson’s elite talent. The interior defensive line will need to step up to not allow Atlanta to chew clock by rushing the football, and the edges will need to contain Heinicke on his mad scrambles.
There’s no doubt Flores will get pressure on Heinicke, and the defense will need to capitalize on errant throws or fumbles. Winning the turnover battle will go a long way towards helping a rookie quarterback who may make mistakes in his first start, and creating advantageous field position can help provide layups to put points on the board.
The receivers must create yards after the catch and haul in contested catches, which is a big part of quarterbacks like Brock Purdy and Tua Tagovailoa’s success.
Suppose Jordan Addison can separate for his weekly deep touchdown, and T.J. Hockenson can muscle through players for first downs as he has over the past couple of weeks. In that case, the offense may operate at a higher capacity than many people expect.
The Vikings have a tremendous opportunity to determine how Jaren Hall fits in the team’s future quarterback room on Sunday. With help, he can lead them past the misfortune they have encountered. The Vikings will have to give more leeway to the younger quarterback, but they have the perfect opportunity to test their own resiliency while they evaluate the future of the team.
