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Police arrested Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips two days ahead of his team’s critical Week 14 showdown with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Authorities took Phillips into custody and charged him with operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol on Friday, December 8, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, who cited Hennepin County Jail records in his report. Minnesota state law classifies the offense of DWI as a misdemeanor.
The Vikings released a statement on Phillips’ arrest Saturday, in which the team stated that the coach will still travel with the organization for Sunday’s game in Las Vegas.
“Wes immediately notified the team following his arrest last night,” the Vikings said, per ESPN. “This morning we contacted the NFL and after internal discussion, made the decision Wes will travel with the team to Las Vegas this afternoon. We will continue to gather information regarding the incident and have further comment at the appropriate time.”
Minnesota (6-6) has lost two consecutive games and is coming off its bye week, as the team continues to battle for an NFC Wild Card playoff spot.
Vikings Offense Has Struggled Under QB Josh Dobbs Over Past 2 Games
GettyOffensive coordinator Wes Phillips of the Minnesota Vikings walks on the sideline during an NFL game.
Phillips’ arrest is a distraction the Vikings don’t need as they try to get the offense back on track after scoring a combined 30 points over the previous two games.
Along with head coach Kevin O’Connell, Phillips is a crucial component in the effort to straighten out starting quarterback Josh Dobbs who threw four interceptions against the Chicago Bears his last time out. O’Connell chose to stick with Dobbs against the Raiders after leaving the question of who would start open-ended heading into the bye week.
However, Dobbs may be on a short leash considering his turnover problems of late and how those have directly impacted Minnesota’s postseason chances.
“Nick Mullens will be ready to go,” O’Connell told media members on December 6. “We’ll prepare Nick like we always do … and our entire team knows that they can count on Nick when called upon.”
The head coach also mentioned rookie Jaren Hall who has returned from concussion protocol and is healthy enough to play if he is needed.
“Whether it’s Nick or Jaren, I feel like we got three quarterbacks we can win football games with,” O’Connell added.
Vikings’ Playoff Chances Have Plummeted Over Last 3 Weeks, But Remain Solid
GettyMinnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell will try and turn things around against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 14.
A few weeks ago, the Vikings were in a strong position to make the playoffs. A lot has changed since then, but the team still has more than a puncher’s chance to play into late January.
ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) projects Minnesota to finish the season with 8.5 wins, which translated means the team has a 50% chance to go 9-8 and the same odds to go 8-9 heading into the weekend. FPI affords the Vikings a 50.2% chance to make the postseason as of Saturday.
If the playoffs started today, Minnesota would be the No. 6 seed and would travel to play the San Francisco 49ers on Wild Card weekend.
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Vikings Coach Arrested Ahead of Matchup With Raiders