If you thought the Kirk Cousins Experience was rocky, the Josh Dobbs rollercoaster these past four weeks may have left you nauseous.
The Chicago Bears shocked the Minnesota Vikings 12-10, and the Vikings suddenly have a quarterback conundrum only two weeks removed from becoming the best feel-good story in football. The cleverly nicknamed “Passtronaut,” Dobbs came crashing back to earth after his resounding 2-0 start. After wavering in Denver and toppling against the underdog Chicago Bears, Dobbs landed right where most backups top out: as .500 quarterbacks. The Fran Tarkenton-esque scrambles that made Dobbs an overnight phenom turned into sacks, intentional grounding calls, and cringy interceptions against the Bears.
The Houdini escape act isn’t a sustainable methodology unless you’re a true magician.
You could argue Dobbs injected new life into a Vikings season thought to be on life support, but he was also a key culprit in the recent defeats that have frittered away the team’s cushion. Six Dobbs turnovers in the last two games has head coach Kevin O’Connell considering a QB change following the Week 13 bye, but it’s unclear who his selection would be. In his postgame remarks Monday, O’Connell brought up Jaren Hall and Nick Mullens as options, even though Mullens was listed above Hall on the depth chart against the Bears.
This writer’s opinion? Go back to Hall.
For one, the clock may have struck midnight on Dobbs’ Cinderella story. As entertaining as he was in wins over the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints, Dobbs has shown with two different teams this year that he’s better suited as an improv actor than performing from a script. Dobbs delivered three QBRs over 80 in his first four games with the Cardinals immediately after the Cleveland Browns traded him there, only to fall off mightily. His QBRs of 88.1 and 88.2 in his first two Minnesota games turned into 58.2 and 19.3 once O’Connell put heavier demands on the journeyman quarterback. Sympathy to Dobbs — it’s tough drinking through a fire hose. But it’s not an excuse to throw an interception every nine dropbacks.
Mullens? Some would argue he’s your safe play. Your Trevor Siemian, your Sean Mannion, or your Shaun Hill.
It’s entirely possible Mullens would’ve been the original choice to fill in for Cousins, but a back injury prohibited him from playing and opened the door for Dobbs in the first place. Turnovers have vexed the Vikings all season, and the thinking might be that if Mullens can play a less-volatile game than Dobbs, it could be more complementary to Minnesota’s thriving defense, which is presently ranked eighth in the NFL. Yes, eighth.
Mullens’ preseason stats would be more than acceptable if he could duplicate them in real games: 27/43, 290 yards, one TD, no INTs. But Mullens has been anything but careful with the football in his previous NFL stints, which have yielded a 5-12 record as a starter. As the San Francisco 49ers’ starter in 2020, Mullens had the second-highest turnover-worthy-play rate in the NFL and one of the highest rates of batted passes. While Dobbs had the potential to compensate for his mistakes with superb running ability, Mullens has proven to be one of the most scramble-resistant passers in the NFL. There is a ceiling on his potential, but the floor is still fairly low.
That’s where Hall comes in. Put aside his rocky preseason, playing behind wannabe offensive linemen and throwing to uber-raw pass-catchers. The brief glimpse the Vikings got of Hall against the Falcons was a strong one as he went 5 for 6, showed command at the line of scrimmage, and athleticism to escape the pocket (albeit to his detriment, as he suffered a concussion on his second drive). Hall can provide Dobbs’ mobility, but potentially with greater command of the system he’s been in all season. Dobbs and Mullens have a proclivity for turnovers, whereas Hall might not. We don’t know. And that’s why he should get a shot.
When you are waffling between three quarterbacks, throw seniority out the window. There is no longer an obvious option that best helps the Vikings reach the playoffs. Dobbs ceded that status by losing to Chicago. Mullens has a losing track record on a 49ers team that has excelled with several other quarterbacks. Hall is untapped.
Yes, the grass is always greener — blah, blah, blah — but who cares if you’re already on a dying lawn?
The fringe benefit of playing Hall? You gather intel toward next season’s quarterback decision. Dobbs’ early play put him in the 2024 conversation, but the caveat remained that Minnesota would need to outbid the league for his services. That’s not the case with Hall, who is signed through 2026.
If the Vikings are willing to entertain far-fetched options for their next franchise quarterback, wouldn’t you rather discover the guy who’s under contract than the one who’s not?
If Hall absolutely proves he is not that guy, you’ve crossed an item off your checklist. And hey, you’ve still got Mullens or Dobbs waiting in the wings.
Maybe it ends up being quarterback by committee the rest of the way. But Hall should get the first crack out of the bye.
