5 bold Minnesota Vikings predictions for Week 9 vs. the Atlanta Falcons

1. Jaren Hall will not seize the Vikings’ starting QB job

The biggest storyline coming into the game is what the Vikings will be doing at quarterback. Jaren Hall relieved Kirk Cousins after he suffered his injury last week, but Kevin O’Connell was non-committal about the rookie's status as the starter after the win over the Packers.

The front office seemed to send their own message about Hall after trading for former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Josh Dobbs earlier in the week, but Minnesota has decided that the fifth-round rookie from BYU will start against the Falcons on Sunday.

The situation is full of a lot of mixed signals, but this appears to be Hall’s one chance to win the starting job.

Hall was never drafted to push Cousins for a starting job as his advanced age (25) and average arm don’t scream potential to be a franchise quarterback. But the Vikings have been impressed with his makeup, even as he learned the ins and outs of the NFL game during the preseason earlier this year.

Unfortunately, PFF charted Hall with a 48.8 percent accuracy rate during the preseason. His starter status might be a case of last man standing rather than a vote of confidence.

If Hall performs admirably in Atlanta, he could convince Minnesota to make him the starter for the rest of the year. But with Dobbs now learning the playbook, it could just be a matter of time before the veteran takes over.