Inside The Vikings

Jordan Addison Debuts, Vikings Fall to Seahawks in Preseason Opener

Jaren Hall mostly struggled to move the Vikings' offense in the second half.

Will Ragatz

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There was a lot to like from some notable Vikings in Thursday night's preseason opener in Seattle, including Ty Chandler's performance and the NFL debuts for rookies Jordan Addison and Ivan Pace Jr., among others. Minnesota led 10-7 at half, but rookie QB Jaren Hall struggled after the break and the ultimately meaningless result was a 24-13 Seahawks victory.

With Nick Mullens at QB to begin the game, the Vikings jumped out to a 10-0 lead when tight end Nick Muse leapt for a touchdown reception early in the second quarter. Mullens was able to move the ball effectively in the first half, completing 14 of 20 passes for 139 yards to players like Addison, Jalen Reagor, and Brandon Powell. Chandler had 15 touches in the first half (11 rushes, 4 receptions), picking up 70 yards in an impressive showing.

All eyes were on Addison, the Vikings' first-round pick, to start this contest. He's had an excellent training camp and carried that over to his first NFL action. Addison made a great, Cris Carter-esque toe-tapping catch on the sideline, but it was incorrectly ruled incomplete and the Vikings decided not to challenge (it's the preseason). Addison later caught a 22-yard pass from Mullens that could've been a bigger gain with a more accurate throw.

Pace, the Vikings' standout undrafted linebacker, made his presence felt in this game as a run defender. He finished as Vikings' leading tackler with six stops, showing off his burst and power coming downhill. Second-year OLB Luiji Vilain also played well, and rookie CB Jaylin Williams had Minnesota's biggest defensive highlight with an interception.

The Seahawks tied the score at 10 early in the third quarter. After a 54-yard Greg Joseph field goal gave the Vikings the lead back, it was all Seattle the rest of the way. Veteran QB Drew Lock played the first three quarters and finished with two touchdown passes before giving way to rookie Holton Ahlers, who threw a TD of his own in the fourth quarter.

Hall took over for Mullens in the second half and struggled to move the ball, finishing 6 of 14 for 37 yards. Both quarterbacks were under significant duress in the pocket; Hall responded to the pressure by taking off and throwing several passes away. Mullens clearly had the better performance, but he also played alongside more talented and experienced players than Hall did. The rookie will look to show improvement in the next two preseason games.

The Vikings will be back to practicing this weekend. Next week, they'll host the Titans for a pair of joint practices before the two teams play in Week 2 of the preseason at U.S. Bank Stadium on August 19th.

More takeaways to come from this game in Seattle.

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Will Ragatz
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