Vikings Fans Unenthused by One QB Option
Give Joshua Dobbs a shot at redemption, or roll with the rookie, Jaren Hall.
That’s the word from Minnesota Vikings fans heading into Week 14. The group has one request: Just don’t start Nick Mullens.
Vikings Fans Unenthused by One QB Option
The Vikings have an in-living-color quarterback controversy or debate exiting the bye week, as head coach Kevin O’Connell wouldn’t commit to a specific starter after Minnesota’s gross 12-10 loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. in Week 12.
“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.
And while the announcement timeline is fluid, O’Connell will likely name a starter sometime in the middle of the week.
Vikings loyalists want Jaren Hall to get the nod — a rather emphatic and loud endorsement — and the last thing they want to see is Mullens under center. They’re just not enthused by the 28-year-old veteran. Last week, we polled Vikings faithful on the X app, formerly known as Twitter, and Mullens fetched last place.
Of course, this doesn’t mean O’Connell will agree with fans. Mullens could indeed be named the starter, and folks will just have to deal with it. Some actually believe Mullens is the frontrunner for QB1 at the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
According to ex-NFL quarterback and current NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms, Minnesota will likely roll with Nick Mullens. He said a few days ago, “The way Kevin O’Connell is saying that, to me, totally points to Nick Mullens is going to be the starting quarterback if he’s totally healthy and ready to go here after the bye week. What he’s trying to say is, ‘Nick Mullens knows the offense.'”
Mullens last started a game in 2021 as a member of the Cleveland Browns, and teams led by him are 5-12 (.294) since the start of 2018.
“It’s like having a lesser Kirk Cousins out there. I feel like that’s what people think of Nick Mullens when you hear him described. He’s going to know all the checks. He can handle all the offense. He’s a solid thrower of the football. There’s no wow arm, but he controls it well. And all those signs point to: let’s put him in with Justin Jefferson because we know he can dish and deliver the ball better than Josh Dobbs,” Simms added.
Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling opined last week about Mullens as QB1 after the bye, “If your biggest issue is we’re turning the ball over, we’re not executing our offense the way we want it to run. The best way to get some semblance of that back is to put in the guy that has the most experience in your offense … a guy that can play the offense in a somewhat similar fashion to Kirk Cousins. A guy that Kirk Cousins has praised as helping him learn the nuances of the offense.”
One Mullens naysayer, @_jason_777, tweeted, “If I have to watch Nick Mullens start in Vegas I’m gonna have a stroke man.”
Climbing the Pocket contributor Deshawn Vaughan tweeted on November 29th, “Nick Mullens recorded 600 snaps between 2018 and 2020. His turnover worthy plays doubled his big time throws each time. I don’t believe he’s ever recorded a game with 10+ rushing yards. And just like Dobbs he crumbles under pressure. Hall really is the only logical option.”
Long story short: Vikings fans overwhelmingly prefer Hall as QB1 after the bye but appear paranoid that Mullens could be the pick.
The Vikings are early 2.5-point favorites to chip off the Raiders this weekend — no matter the quarterback.
Here Comes the Vikings’ Most Hated Foe
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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