The minnesota vikings 2023 season has unfolded in a way that nobody saw coming. Injuries, specifically to many of the team’s offensive stars, have forced Minnesota to rely on its depth and defense to win games. And after a 1-4 start, the Vikings have rallied to win six of eight, and Minnesota currently occupies a playoff spot in the NFC.
But it hasn’t been pretty. The Vikings only beat the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday by a 3-0 score. It was Minnesota’s second consecutive game with fewer than 300 yards of offense, and cult hero Joshua Dobbs completed only 10 of his 23 pass attempts for 63 yards — losing star receiver Justin Jefferson to a chest injury in the process.
On Tuesday, the Vikings made it official: Dobbs will no longer be the starter behind center. Nick Mullens will be taking over as Minnesota faces a vital stretch of games to end the regular season.
Who is Nick Mullens?
Mullens, a native of Little Rock, Arkansas, has played for three NFL teams since entering the league in 2018. The Vikings acquired Mullens from the Raiders for a conditional draft pick in 2022, and on Sunday, the 28-year-old will make his first appearance as a starter since 2021.
Mullens has made 17 career starts for the San Francisco 49ers and the Cleveland Browns and owns a 5-12 record. The former Southern Mississippi quarterback has made five relief appearances since joining Minnesota, and he completed nine of his 13 passes for 83 yards in the Vikings’ low-scoring win last weekend.
It is unusual for a team in Minnesota‘s position to cycle through four different quarterbacks and end up making the playoffs anyway. But then, the Vikings are an unusual team — they have played 12 one-score games out of 13 total.
Mullens will be tasked with guiding Minnesota through one last non-conference game — against Jake Browning and the Bengals in Cincinnati — before ending the season with three games in a row against NFC North rivals. It is likely that the Vikings will need to defeat the division-leading Detroit Lions at least once in order to return to the playoffs.
The #Vikings are 7-6 on the year and currently the No. 6 seed in the NFC. Nick Mullens will be tasked with trying to get the team to the playoffs.
Minnesota's remaining schedule:
• at Bengals
• vs. Lions
• vs. Packers
• at Lions https://t.co/MWvLeK0EDd— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 12, 2023
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