After an embarrassing 12-10 Monday Night Football loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 12, everything is on the table for the Minnesota Vikings.
And that includes a change at quarterback.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell addressed the possibility of benching starter Josh Dobbs after he threw four interceptions in the November 27 home loss. He said he would “take a look at everything,” per the Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling.
“We’re going to take a look, really evaluate the inventory of plays now we have of Josh,” O’Connell added in a postgame news conference. “We got healthy, got Jaren [Hall] back available to us, and Nick Mullens is available to us as well.”
Entering the bye week at 6-6 with a 58% chance of making the playoffs (according to ESPN), O’Connell is facing one of the most important decisions of his first two years in Minnesota.
Stand by Dobbs or move on from what had felt like a Cinderella story the past four weeks.
Whatever it may be, Minnesota got its wake-up call from the Bears, as the Vikings continue to find themselves in single-score games, where the margin of error is razor-thin. The Vikings have back-to-back losses settled by a field goal
“I still thought Josh battled. No flinch. Just kept playing and competing to try to help us win. I really credit him for that. It’s tough to do on a night where you’ve turned the football over with some interceptions here and there just to keep playing. This guy is a competitor,” O’Connell said.
Vikings Worn Thin Through Trying Season
GettyHead coach Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings.
Credit to the Vikings: They could have hung it up starting the season 0-3. They could have hung it up when they lost Justin Jefferson midseason. They could have hung it when they lost Kirk Cousins for the season.
The Vikings have had to battle through adversity every week with 10 players and five starters currently on injured reserve. That’s taken an emotional toll for a team that was the hottest team in the NFL, winning five straight games, to being back to a .500 record with only five games left in the season.
After Monday’s loss, rookie Jordan Addison remained in his gear and stared deeply into his locker after securing 6 catches for 39 yards.
“Couple weeks ago, I’d probably tell you it’s going good. But now I feel like I ain’t doing what I’m supposed to be doing. I’m not really proud of how I’ve been playing. I have to pick it up,” Addison told the Star Tribune’s Andrew Krammer.
The bye week comes at an ideal time for a roster that hasn’t had a chance to breathe through a trying three months of the regular season.
“It’s been a grind, a stretch for them. They have continued to show up and play very, very hard. They prepare the right way. When they come back off this bye we’ll make sure we got a great plan for going to Vegas, and whatever that looks like, we’ll be ready to go,” O’Connell said.
Vikings Considering QB Nick Mullens Rest of Season
GettyQuarterback Nick Mullens of the Minnesota Vikings
Dobbs’ arrival at the trade deadline was partially a product of Mullens still ailing from a back injury that landed him on injured reserve.
But with Mullens healthy, O’Connell acknowledged that he considered benching Dobbs for Mullens during Monday’s game — a decision that could bleed over into the bye week as O’Connell assesses his quarterback room for the rest of the season.
“Yeah, in a game like that when it’s low scoring and have some guys that you know have an opportunity to maybe go in and provide a spark, just as Josh did when he came in in really tough circumstances, it’s all about what’s best to win the game,” O’Connell said.
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Vikings Coach Sends Josh Dobbs Strong Message on QB Change