Nick Mullens will start for Vikings in Sunday’s season finale against Lions
With a slim chance of making the playoffs, the Vikings are turning back to veteran quarterback Nick Mullens to start Sunday’s season finale against the Detroit Lions.
Talking to reporters before Wednesday’s walkthrough at TCO Performance Center, head coach Kevin O’Connell confirmed the decision, emphasizing that Mullens has been a prolific passer during his time under center.
“We’ve been very explosive as an offense when he’s been in there,” O’Connell said. “The one area that we must focus on is possession of the football.”
That has been easier said than done for Mullens in his time as the starter. He threw two interceptions in a 27-24 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in his first start on Dec. 16, then threw four interceptions in a 30-24 loss to the Lions in his second start on Dec. 24.
Those performances got Mullens benched in favor of rookie quarterback Jaren Hall ahead of the 33-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers on New Year’s Eve. That proved to be short-lived as Mullens replaced Hall at halftime with the offense looking like a shell of itself.
It’s still unclear who will serve as the backup for the Vikings this weekend against the Lions. Asked that specific question, O’Connell said he’s still deciding between Hall and journeyman Josh Dobbs.
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