Vikings 2023 NFL playoff odds: Now postseason longshot, Minnesota may start rookie Jaren Hall at QB Sunday vs. Packers

The Minnesota Vikings' 30-24 home loss to Detroit on Sunday handed the Lions their first division title in 30 years and was a devastating defeat for the Vikings' playoff hopes. Minnesota is now a +380 longshot to reach the postseason at DraftKings and -525 to miss out. Quarterback Nick Mullens struggled against the Lions, and head coach Kevin O'Connell is reportedly pondering letting fifth-round rookie Jaren Hall start Sunday night vs. Green Bay. The Vikings are -2.5 on the SportsLine consensus.

Minnesota (7-8) now sits eighth in the NFC but does currently win head-to-head tiebreakers over the other 7-8 teams -- Atlanta, Green Bay and New Orleans. The Vikings beat the Falcons 31-28 in Week 9, beat the Saints 27-19 in Week 10, and won at Lambeau Field in Week 8, 24-10, but the Packers obviously can make things more complicated with a win Sunday. Minnesota closes the regular season in Detroit and the Lions could be locked into their playoff seed by then and choose to rest starters.

That first Packers game was the last in which Minnesota QB Kirk Cousins played this season. He threw a pair of touchdown passes before leaving in the fourth quarter with an Achilles injury that turned out to be season-ending.

The journeyman Mullens threw two picks but also logged 303 yards and two scores in his first start on Dec. 16, an overtime loss in Cincinnati. He had 411 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday against the Lions but threw four more interceptions. The last pick came with Justin Jefferson open for what would have been a game-tying touchdown and potential go-ahead PAT. It was a bad throw by Mullens.

Hall was the first quarterback to play after Cousins was hurt against the Packers in late October, but Hall then suffered a concussion on the opening drive of his first start at Atlanta. That injury paved the way for Joshua Dobbs to come in and take ahold of the job, but he was then benched in large part due to a rash of interceptions.

The 25-year-old Hall was the No. 164 overall pick in this year's draft out of BYU. Perhaps the Vikings want to see if Hall is their future under center, as Cousins is not expected to be re-signed in the offseason, and Mullens and Dobbs don't look like the answer. Hall has completed 8 of 10 passes for 80 yards with no turnovers and one sack taken while rushing four times for 10 yards. He has been the backup to Mullens for the past two games.

Stellar rookie receiver Jordan Addison (ankle, second quarter), Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson (knee, third quarter), cornerback Mekhi Blackmon (shoulder, third quarter) and edge rusher D.J. Wonnum (quadriceps, fourth quarter) all left the Detroit loss injured and are in question against Green Bay. The Packers are +170 to make the playoffs and -225 to not.

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