One Report Hints Vikings’ QB Decision Has Been Made
Dustin Baker
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The Minnesota Vikings lost 12-10 to the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football five days ago, chiefly because of four interceptions and generalized ineptitude on offense.
One Report Hints Vikings’ QB Decision Has Been Made
“I think the quarterback position needs to be evaluated to see what gives us the best chance to win. I don’t think there’s any particular timeline,” Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters Tuesday about his thought process after the loss to Chicago.
So, that hinted at quarterback controversy or debate, a first of its kind for the Vikings in the middle of a season since 2013. That arrived this week, and fans have debated three choices in the last handful of days: Joshua Dobbs, Nick Mullens, or Jaren Hall.
Fast forward to Saturday, eight days before the Vikings’ next game, and The Athletic hinted incumbent starter Joshua Dobbs will get the nod in Week 14.
Dobbs set the solar system on fire in his first two games with the Vikings, helping the club topple the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints in back-to-back weeks. And his heroism at Atlanta occurred after just five days of learning the playbook.
Minnesota still has several days to name a starter — Vikings fans want the rookie, Jaren Hall — but per Dianna Russini, all signs point to Dobbs for another hurrah.
“The Vikings are on a bye this week, but a league source said Jefferson is expected to practice in full and be ready to play against the Raiders in Week 14. The next big question will be, who is throwing the ball to him? Josh Dobbs or Nick Mullens. My early sense is the team will be sticking with Dobbs. The team is back in the building on Monday,” Russini wrote on Saturday.
Teams led by Dobbs, the Cardinals and Vikings, are 2-9 (.181) in 2023.
Indeed, Dobbs played woefully versus the Bears, but career-long backup passers rarely embark on long stretches without stinker games. Monday was a stinker. If Dobbs has a full week of preparation and chats with NASA about reducing dumb turnovers, maybe staying the course is wise. Dobbs is not guaranteed to play poorly at Las Vegas and beyond. Players can improve.
Too, during the two-game win spurt (and after the two-game losing skid), Dobbs’ teammates bought into DobbsMania. He was a winner for a couple of weeks, and his teammates rode the wave.
Pro-Dobbs teammates would probably understand a bench relegation — turnovers are fatal, and football players know it — but giving him one more crack at QB1 would probably be applauded by the Vikings’ locker room.
What’s more, Dobbs might deserve a shot at the offense with all its tools. The only Vikings life Dobbs knows is one without Justin Jefferson, which is quite unfair. There’s a possibility that Dobbs completely thrives with Jefferson open downfield, and benching him now could be unscrupulous.
Others like Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling and former NFL quarterback Chris Simms have predicted Mullens will get the start in Las Vegas. The Athletic says Dobbs. O’Connell should have a decision sometime in the middle or late next week.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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