2023-12-16 20:17:15
MINNEAPOLIS — When Nick Mullens takes the field for the Minnesota Vikings’ game once morest the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday, he’ll be the fourth different quarterback to start a game for the team this season.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell benched Joshua Dobbs during last weekend’s 3-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Mullens relieved Dobbs, going 9/13 for 83 yards. He led the Vikings on the only scoring drive of the day for either team.
The offense’s toothless effort in Vegas overshadowed another dominant performance by the Vikings’ defense, which forced three turnovers, earned four sacks, held the Raiders to 3/14 on third down and allowed only 202 total yards.
While Mullens lacks the playmaking ability of Dobbs, he does have more experience in O’Connell’s offense. He also started the year as the No. 2 QB, but an injury handed the job to rookie Jaren Hall. Mullens has started 17 games across his career, most of them with the San Francisco 49ers.
Mullens will have star wide receiver Justin Jefferson to throw to, thankfully. Jefferson returned last weekend following missing several games with a hamstring injury, but played just 13 snaps before suffering another injury. Jefferson was taken to a hospital to be checked for internal injuries, but said earlier this week he will play once morest the Bengals.
Those Bengals, by the way, are surprisingly feisty, despite losing star QB Joe Burrow for the season with a wrist injury. They’ve won their last two behind former Viking Jake Browning, who completed nearly 82% of his passes for 629 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in those wins. Both came once morest AFC playoff contenders, too — the Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts.
At 7-6, the Vikings have the inside track on a wild card spot in the NFC, but they’ll need to finish strong, starting with the Bengals game. After that, their three remaining games are once morest divisional opponents, including two once morest the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions.
Kickoff is at noon Saturday in Cincinnati.
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