Life comes at you quickly in the NFL. Just one month after Josh Dobbs was the darling of the NFL, the Minnesota Vikings have benched him in favor of fellow quarterback Nick Mullens. Will Dobbs have a chance to regain his starting role, and how will the switch affect the Vikings’ postseason hopes?
Vikings Bench Josh Dobbs in Week 14
It was hard to argue with head coach Kevin O’Connell’s decision in the fourth quarter. The Vikings had scored no points and averaged just 2.9 yards per play against the Las Vegas Raiders, who don’t exactly field the league’s stoutest defense.
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Dobbs was especially poor, completing 10 of 23 attempts for 63 yards while taking five sacks. But Dobbs’ performance against the Raiders on Sunday probably wasn’t the only reason Minnesota decided to roll with Mullens.
Dobbs also struggled against the Chicago Bears before the Vikings’ Week 13 bye, tossing four picks in a disastrous 12-10 loss. With a two-game sample of disappointing results from Dobbs, O’Connell had no choice but to make a change.
The Vikings acquired Mullens from the Raiders in Aug. 2022, and he threw 25 passes as Kirk Cousins’ backup during his inaugural campaign in Minnesota. But he was on injured reserve when Cousins went down this season, forcing rookie Jaren Hall to start against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9.
Hall suffered a concussion early in that contest, leading to Dobbs’ emergence as the Vikings’ temporary starter. Now, Minnesota has come full circle by inserting Mullens in place of Dobbs.
Mullens, 28, signed with the San Francisco 49ers after not being selected in the 2017 NFL Draft. He made 16 starts for the Niners from 2018-20, completing 64.5% of his passes for 4,714 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 22 interceptions. Mullens has also spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns.
It remains unclear if Mullens or Dobbs will start for the Vikings when they face the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 15, but Mullens will likely have the upper hand. Minnesota entered today’s game with a 50% chance of making the playoffs, per ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI), so every remaining contest is critical.
Whichever quarterback is under center may not have All-Pro wideout Justin Jefferson, who returned on Sunday following a seven-game absence but then suffered a chest injury that led to hospitalization.
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