The NFL season consistently presents unpredictable scenarios, and the ongoing one isn’t an exception.
The Minnesota Vikings, currently holding the NFC’s No. 6 seed with a record of 7-6, have elected to replace quarterback Josh Dobbs with Nick Mullens for their upcoming game against the Bengals.
A midseason trade brought Josh Dobbs from the Arizona Cardinals to the Minnesota Vikings. His tenure with the Vikings began on a high note; his debut games showed promise.
However, recent performances have seen a decline, most notably in the Nov. 27 game against the Chicago Bears and the win over Las Vegas Raiders on December 5.
The last games have shown a sudden drop in Dobbs’ performance. In the match against the Bears, Dobbs’ statistics were far from optimal:
out of 23 attempted passes, only 10 were completed, covering just 65 yards. He also was sacked five times.
In the game against the Las Vegas Raiders, where the Vikings clinched a narrow victory, Dobbs’ performance was far below expectations.
Within five appearances for the Vikings this season, Dobbs has managed to complete 62.9% of his passes for 895 yards with five touchdowns and five interceptions.
Couple his Viking stats with his eight games for the Cardinals, he holds a 62.8 percent pass completion rate for the season, covering 2,464 yards with 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
In a strategic move to favor the Vikings’ playoff ambitions, Mullens is named the starting quarterback for the upcoming matchup against the Bengals.
Mullens, a relatively fresh talent who joined the Vikings, has a chance to steer the Vikings’ helm in a potentially pivotal game of their season.
The decision to start Mullens over Dobbs has been heavily debated. Although this decision can seem abrupt, it is not devoid of reason.
The coaching team, led by O’Connell, saw a requirement for a change in strategy to gain the upper hand in their coming games.
After the decision was made public, Coach O’Connell held a press conference and addressed the sudden change in his team’s lineup.
“Josh, for the better part of four games and three quarters there, led us to three wins and there’s a lot of teams in this league that when they do lose their starter, it takes a lot to overcome that and continue pressing onward,” O’Connell said. “The team we’re playing this week, they’re experiencing it right now and Jake Browning’s doing a lot of good things to lead them to some wins at the right time of the year. So, I think Josh understands the process and where we’ve been at.
Kevin O'Connell: I think Josh Dobbs understands decision to start Nick Mullens. https://t.co/ojJOaBRRtJ
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) December 13, 2023
“I think he has respect for the opportunity he had and some of the really good things he did, but I think in communicating with him and making sure he knows exactly what the thought process is, the idea was to make sure there’s full transparency with these guys. I do believe Nick Mullens gives us the best chance to win the football game this Saturday, and that’s the decision we’ve made.”
He articulated that the decision wasn’t made as a knee-jerk reaction to Dobbs’ recent performances. O’Connell emphasized that he is under the impression Dobbs understands why a shift in strategy is necessary for the team’s progress.
