Nick

Mullens

Mullens and the Vikings aired it out all afternoon, but two fourth-quarter interceptions sealed their fate and brought their 2023 to a close. Mullens was one of four quarterbacks to draw a start for the Vikings this season, as the position was stuck in a turnstile after the injury to Kirk Cousins. Mullens’ season ends with a line of 1,306-7-8 in five games. While he won’t be earning any starting jobs this offseason, he proved to be a serviceable backup late in the season and could play his way into the Vikings’ backup role in camp if he re-signs with the team. Even if he doesn’t return to the Vikings, Mullens, 28, will have other opportunities to battle for a spot somewhere this offseason.

Jaren Hall got the start in Week 17 but didn’t last long. He was pulled at halftime after throwing for 67 yards and an interception in the first half. Mullens threw for 113 yards and a touchdown. Mullens threw for 411 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions in his last start. The results were mixed, but he wasn’t afraid the chuck it up for Justin Jefferson and let fate decide the rest. Mullens will rank as a fantasy QB2 for Week 18.

O’Connell will likely announce his decision on Tuesday, as the team isn’t in the building on Monday. While O’Connell hasn’t announced the starter, Nick Mullens looks like the early favorite to get the nod in Week 18 after coming on in relief of Jaren Hall in Week 17’s loss to the Packers. The Vikings are virtually eliminated from playoff contention. Regardless of who is under center, Week 18’s contest against the Lions is unlikely to result in anything significant for the Vikings.

Mullens came on in relief of rookie quarterback Jaren Hall to start the second half, doing his best to lead the team back from a hefty deficit following two turnovers from Hall. He leaned on alpha wide receiver Justin Jefferson and fill-in tight end Johnny Mundt while dinking and dunking against the prevent Joe Barry Packers defense. The Vikings now need a win and a lot of help in Week 18 to make the postseason following the loss, and it remains to be seen who will be under center against the Lions.

Goessling reports that Kevin O’Connell said “All three of those guys are worthy of being involved in that discussion. We’ll make the best decision in the interest of winning games.” Joshua Dobbs was benched in favor of Nick Mullens a couple of weeks ago due to turnovers and ineffectiveness, while Jaren Hall hasn’t gotten another chance since suffering a concussion. It looks like the Vikings are laying out all options as they fight for their playoff lives.

There was no shortage of chunk gains from Mullens and the Vikings’ passing attack, but so many of his big plays were immediately followed by a back-breaking mistake. On top of Mullens’ four picks, he took four sacks, had another interception called back, and fumbled the ball twice. Both fumbles were recovered by Minnesota. The Vikings were in this game until the final whistle, but an underthrown deep shot to Justin Jefferson sealed the deal for Minnesota. It was one of many desperate heaves by Mullens. He may ultimately draw the start in Week 17, but a mid-game benching is a risk fantasy managers will have to weigh versus the Packers.

Mullens completed 26-of-33 passes for 303 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions in the Vikings’ 27-24 loss to the Bengals in Week 15. While the statline looks fine, Mullens threw a couple of really bad interceptions and showed inconsistent pocket presence in the loss. Still, O’Connell seemed more taken with the idea of playing him over Joshua Dobbs. “The biggest thing is Nick showed he can execute our offense and really move the football team.” While he will make some questionable decisions, Mullens being under center is likely good news for fantasy managers with Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson.

The six carries were a bit misleading with two of them coming on “brotherly shove” attempts in overtime, both of which were stopped by the Bengals short of the line to gain, ultimately resulting in the Cincinnati victory. Mullens held his own for the Vikings, who took a 17-3 lead into the break before allowing three fourth-quarter touchdowns to send the game to overtime. The Vikings lost the coin flip and got a stop on the defensive side of the ball to begin the extra frame but gave the ball back to the Bengals on the cusp of field goal range on the consecutive failed quarterback sneaks. The now 7-7 Vikings will have decisions to make ahead of their Week 16 contest against the Lions.

Dobbs has quickly gone from one of the best stories in football to just another guy on a roster. After leading the Vikings to an unprecedented win over the Falcons in Week 9 and logging a Week 10 win over the Saints, Dobbs’ light appears to have gone out. He’s 1-2 in his last three starts and has two touchdowns to five interceptions to show over that span. Rookie Jaren Hall will serve as the backup to Nick Mullens on Saturday as the Vikings look to keep their name in the playoff hunt.

Mullens came in relief of Dobbs in Week 14 after the latter had proved to be ineffective. Dobbs started off completing 10-of-23 passes for 63 yards before being pulled. Mullens who is now healthy, completed 9-of-13 passes for 83 yards and led the Vikings to three points. The Vikings stuck with Dobbs after a four-interception performance in Week 12 against the Bears, but he couldn’t bounce back afterward. The Vikings will make their playoff push with Mullens.