Between Josh Dobbs, Nick Mullens, and Jaren Hall, who will the Minnesota Vikings select to be their starting quarterback when they return from their bye in Week 14?
The Minnesota Vikings are entering a crucial junction of their season. They have a week off but are sitting at 6-6 after blowing two games to the Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears. A major reason why the Vikings lost those games was because of the play of their quarterback.
Josh Dobbs threw some very ugly passes, failed to protect the football, made some extremely poor decisions, and has become a turnover machine. The conservative play-calling of the head coach doesn't help, but Dobbs is a major reason why the Vikings have dropped two straight.
Justin Jefferson's return to Minnesota's active roster will be a huge boost. But the big question is, who will be throwing him the ball?
Will the Vikings stick with Dobbs? Will Nick Mullens get a crack at it, or will the team turn to fifth-round rookie Jaren Hall and hope he brings some Brock Purdy-like magic to the team?
Let's make a case both for and against each option and ultimately predict who the Vikings will pick to be their starting quarterback when they return from their bye in Week 14 to take on the Las Vegas Raiders.
Choice No. 1 - Josh Dobbs
Why He Should Start
Josh Dobbs has struggled mightily the last couple of weeks, but let's not forget what he has done for the team since the Vikings traded for him.
Dobbs was barely with Minnesota when he was thrust into the lineup in Week 9 after Jaren Hall went down with an injury. He didn't know the plays or his teammates' names, but somehow, he led the Vikings to a victory.
He did this with his innate ability to escape pressure. It's almost inhuman how Dobbs can bend and twist to avoid pressure and then use those legs to scamper for yardage. He is also a rocket scientist, so his ability to process information happens much quicker than most.
Dobbs made the throws he needed to and let his legs do the rest. He duplicated that performance in the first half against the New Orleans Saints in Week 10, and he got his team out to a huge lead. Dobbs should continue to start if Minnesota goes back to using him this way.
In the last couple of games, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell has oddly forced Dobbs to be a pocket passer, and that isn't his style. Let him roll out, give him maybe two reads, and if they aren't there, let him run.
Minnesota has won games this way, and they can continue to do so if he's used this way again.
Why He Shouldn't Start
The turnovers. It's plain and simple. Dobbs is a turnover machine. We've seen him lose the ball while getting hit, seen him make some horrible reads and throw to receivers who aren't open, and we've also seen him throw some very inaccurate footballs.
The Vikings aren't going to sneak into the playoffs if their quarterback keeps turning the ball over. If O'Connell thinks Nick Mullens or Jaren Hall are safer options, that could be enough to ground the Passtronaut.
Choice No. 2 - Nick Mullens
Why He Should Start
Nick Mullens's best case to be the starter is that he may be the only quarterback on the roster who can run the offense most similar to Kirk Cousins.
Mullens can take off and run if need be, but he isn't the athlete that Josh Dobbs or Jaren Hall are. He's much more comfortable sitting in the pocket, going through his progressions, and finding the open man. If Kevin O'Connell wants this type of quarterback, then Mullens makes the most sense.
Mullens also has been in O'Connell's system for two years and is well-versed in it. He's unlikely to make the poor reads and decisions that Dobbs does and may be deemed the safer option as far as turnovers go.
While he may not put up big numbers, he could be viewed as a game manager who can make enough throws. With Minnesota in the thick of the playoff race and getting Justin Jefferson back, having a safe, game-managing type of quarterback to pair with Brian Flores's attacking style of defense isn't a bad thing.
Why He Shouldn't Start
Mullins is a backup for a reason. O'Connell could have turned to him during the loss to the Bears in Week 12, but he opted not to. He may be safer with the football than Dobbs, but he also has 23 career interceptions under his belt, so there's no guarantee he won't make as many mistakes.
Mullens also isn't going to provide those splash plays. Both Dobbs and Hall can make plays with their legs, and that dynamic would be lost with Mullens under center.
He also hasn't worked in any game situations with Minnesota's first-team offense, so there could be some timing kinks for a game or two, and that is a time frame the Vikings can't work with at this juncture.
Choice No. 3 - Jaren Hall
Why He Should Start
For a brief period of time, Jaren Hall was the starter on this team. Granted, he was the only option, but he was given the nod against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9 after Kirk Cousins was lost to his Achilles injury.
Hall had one bad drive and then one good one before getting concussed. There's not a lot to go on, but a big part of the intrigue with Hall is that unknown factor.
The Vikings simply don't know what he will bring to the table. It could be horrible, but it could also be great, like the 49ers got last year with seventh-rounder Brock Purdy. Opposing teams also won't know what to expect from Hall because there isn't much tape on him, so initially, he'll be tough to gameplan for.
Hall can make plays with his legs and that's a huge plus, and starting him will also give Minnesota a good long look, and they can determine whether or not he's a candidate to be the long-term answer at the position.
Why He Shouldn't Start
This one is easy. He's a rookie who has only started one game that ended after a drive and a half. The Vikings are in the thick of the playoff race and simply can't turn their fate over to an inexperienced quarterback.
Sure, he's got arguably more talent than both Dobbs and Mullens, but his lack of experience is huge. There's no way a conservative head coach like Kevin O'Connell would roll the dice and pin his playoff hopes on a rookie unless he was absolutely forced to.
Who will be the Vikings starting QB After their bye?
It's going to be Josh Dobbs. Kevin O'Connell was clearly furious with his performance against the Bears, as his body language and the words he was mouthing when shown on the sidelines made evident. O'Connell needs to look into the mirror and realize he was a big reason why that happened.
He tried to turn Dobbs into Kirk Cousins in the last few games, and that isn't who he is. Dobbs isn't the type of quarterback to drop back and go through five progressions.
He needs to roll out and be given a couple of options. If they aren't there, then he can use his legs and elite speed to pick up yards and move the chains.
O'Connell needs to reflect on this during the bye and adjust his offense so it suits Dobbs's strengths. It's what he did during the Falcons game and for the first part of the Saints game, and it was magical. Simplify things, let the man run, and the offense should go back to being a force.
Dobbs undoubtedly will still make some poor throws and decisions, but if those can be limited to one or two a game, the Vikings should be just fine. The defense is playing lights out, Justin Jefferson is coming back, and tailoring the offense to Dobbs's strengths and keeping him as the starter would give Minnesota the best chance to make the playoffs.