The most important players on the Vikings watched from the sidelines on Saturday afternoon during the preseason finale against the Eagles.

No sense in risking injury with the Sept. 8 season opener right around the corner.

The biggest standout was young quarterback Jaren Hall as he looked cool, calm, and collected while leading the Vikings to a 26-3 win over the Eagles.

Here are five takeaways from the preseason finale:

Hall looked good once again

In his final opportunity to prove himself before roster cuts, Hall was outstanding under center. He completed 17 of 25 passes for 189 yards and a pair touchdowns, and most importantly, looked extremely confident running the offense. It was exactly what Hall needed as he attempts to carve out a niche for himself behind starting quarterback Sam Darnold and backup quarterback Nick Mullens. If the Vikings were hoping to sneak Hall onto the practice squad, that might no longer be an option. He was too good in the preseason finale.

Jackson caught another touchdown

If there was any doubt that receiver Trishton Jackson was going to make the team, he immediately silenced the doubters in the preseason finale. On the first drive of the game, Jackson hauled in a touchdown pass from Hall, continuing his ascension as a key player for the Vikings. That makes three straight games with a touchdown for Jackson in the exhibition slate. The most telling part was that Jackson immediately got to take his pads off after finding the end zone. He’s in good position to make the team.

Cine couldn’t provide an encore

After safety Lewis Cine put forth the best performance of his career last weekend, he couldn’t follow it up with another this weekend. He was basically nonexistent in the preseason finale. Not ideal as he was seemingly fighting for a spot. This might be the end of the road for Cine. If the Vikings can’t find a trade partner in the next 48 hours, they could end up cutting the player they selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Gaskin made his case for practice squad

Though it’s unlikely that running back Myles Gaskin will make the team, he seems like a good candidate to be on the practice squad. He was very efficient in the preseason finale, finishing 13 carries for 61 yards, and proving himself capable of making an impact. There’s also a chance a different team decides to sign Gaskin if he gets cut. He has some experience in the NFL and could help add some depth to a backfield elsewhere.

Evans might be on the outs

It’s probably not a good sign that cornerback Akayleb Evans was playing in the preseason finale. Though it was still be surprising if he got cut at this point, Evans no longer seems to be a foundational piece of the future. If the Vikings have to decide between Evans and a younger cornerback like Dwight McGlothern, they might take a flier on the latter.

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