Vikings To Announce Starting QB on Wednesday
Janik Eckardt
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After Kirk Cousins suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Week 8, not many folks around the league expected the Vikings to stay in the playoff picture. And indeed, life without the starting quarterback hasn’t been easy. His backups have provided a real rollercoaster of QB play, ranging between excellent performances and unacceptable play.
Vikings To Announce Starting QB on Wednesday
Head coach Kevin O’Connell claimed after the loss against the Chicago Bears that he was close to pulling the trigger on a quarterback change. Reliving starter Joshua Dobbs from his duties for his backup Nick Mullens was a real option. Throughout the bye week, O’Connell left the door open for a different signal-caller ahead of the game in Las Vegas. The three contestants for the lone starting quarterback spot are the veterans Dobbs and Mullens and rookie Jaren Hall.
The guys in charge have dragged that decision into the new week and continue to stall to keep the next opponent on their heels. Other than O’Connell, offensive coordinator Wes Phillips is heavily involved in authoring the game plan and making the personnel decisions. He talked to the media on Tuesday and a final verdict is coming soon.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert summarized Phillips’ words on X: “Vikings OC Wes Phillips said he anticipates the Vikings confirming their starting QB tomorrow when the practice week formally begins. Kevin O’Connell said last week the Vikings would consider options beyond Josh Dobbs. But that doesn’t necessarily mean a change is coming.”
Dobbs had an up-and-down four games with the Vikings following his acquisition right before the trade deadline. He had a miraculous first two games, leading his team to a pair of victories and becoming the hero for the purple team. Fans started to envision his future in Minnesota for another season. A couple of weeks later, the Passtronaut returned to earth, fumbling away the last two games.
Turnovers have plagued the franchise all season. They have yet to lose a game when they at least tie the turnover battle. Dobbs’ performance with a fumble and an interception in Denver was followed by a four-interception game versus the division foes in Week 12. Those woes led to the team falling to a .500 record, seriously jeopardizing the playoff hopes.
Mullens, just like Dobbs, is a veteran in the NFL. He has started 17 games and there is a reason why the Vikings traded for him in 2022 to be the number two at the most important position. However, when it comes to limiting turnovers, Mullens is a strange choice as his interception ratio is higher than that of Jameis Winston, a player who is famous for making careless decisions with the ball.
The final competitor is Hall, the 25-year-old rookie out of BYU. Like all rookies, he is a high-variance player and errant or unpredictable play should be expected, although he looked fine in his two drives as a starter in Atlanta. O’Connell and his coaching staff must decide without having an obvious choice.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and Classic rock is his music genre of choice. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt
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