MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings have decided who will start at quarterback against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
On Wednesday, head coach Kevin O’Connell announced that Joshua Dobbs will start again at quarterback.
“We’re very confident in him,” said O’Connell. “He got off to a great start this week on Monday with some extra work out with the guys and getting going so looking forward to that.”
After the November 27 loss to the Chicago Bears, O’Connell hinted that a quarterback change was possible. Dobbs was 22/32 for 185 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions in that game. It was his worst game of the season, and it was the Vikings’ second straight loss.
“Obviously I love the opportunity to start and compete and I plan on making the most of this opportunity and bouncing back from the last time on the field,” Dobbs said in a statement.
“With Josh, it was more about what I could do to keep helping him. “I have faith in him,” O’Connell said. “I think it’s critical that Josh understands that I believe in him. We’re not just saying, ‘Hey, you won us a couple games when we were shorthanded, and now we’re moving on.’ I believe Josh has earned the right to feel the same way I do. I’m sure he senses it from his teammates.”
O’Connell declined to commit to Dobbs for the rest of the season, despite the fact that he will get another shot on Sunday.
“Our whole mentality coming out of this bye is about 60 minutes on Sunday, so I really took that mindset with our gameplan,” he went on to say.
After starter Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles tendon in October, rookie Jaren Hall took over. In his first career start, Hall went 5/6 for 78 yards and had the Vikings on the verge of scoring on their first drive before leaving with a concussion. Dobbs took over and played well enough to keep the starting spot for the time being.
“Jaren Hall’s continued development is of the utmost importance to me personally and our organization and we really like where Jaren’s at, getting healthy, coming off of getting out of the protocol and being available,” O’Connell said in a statement.
The other quarterback on the roster under consideration was Nick Mullens. Mullens is the most experienced player in O’Connell’s offense, having played backup to Cousins for the entire 2022 season. He also has the most NFL starts among the group.
The return of star wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who hasn’t played since being injured in the team’s Oct. 8 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, will give Dobbs a boost.
“Obviously JJ being out there, he’s an efficient and dynamic playmaker,” Dobbs went on to say. “That changes having him in the lineup, but for me, I still go through my same process and trust the plans and trust the game that when the opportunities are there for him to get the ball, he’ll get it and go out and make a play.”
The Vikings are 6-6 and firmly in the NFC playoff race, but with three division games remaining and several teams nipping at their heels, a postseason spot is far from guaranteed.
The game begins at 3:05 p.m. on Sunday in Las Vegas.
