Two weeks ago, the Minnesota Vikings were on top of the football world. They had just defeated the New Orleans Saints for their fifth win in a row. It was an impressive streak as it had come without star wide receiver Justin Jefferson in the lineup and with starting quarterback Kirk Cousins suffering a season-ending Achilles injury.
Quarterback Josh Dobbs, who was acquired from the Arizona Cardinals ahead of the trade deadline, was leading the way offensively. His arrival and level of performance were like a Disney movie script as he stepped into the lineup without any practice reps and found success.
However, the clock may have struck 12 on Dobbs as the Vikings’ starting quarterback. His performance on Monday Night Football against the Chicago Bears has head coach Kevin O’Connell considering a change.
NFL News & Rumors: Joshua Dobbs, Kevin O’Connell, Minnesota Vikings Updates
With the Vikings heading into their bye week. O’Connell is going to evaluate everything at the position. Rookie Jaren Hall is healthy after suffering a concussion in Week 9, which thurst Dobbs into the lineup. Nick Mullens, who was the backup on Monday night, is fully healthy after being on injured reserve when Dobbs was acquired.
Contemplating a change shouldn’t be unexpected given how poorly Dobbs played against the Bears. While the Vikings were in a position to win the game at the end, the game was only so competitive in part because of Dobbs turning the ball over so many times.
He threw four interceptions on Monday Night Football in the team’s 12-10 loss. According to NFL on CBS on X, formerly known as Twitter, that is the most interceptions Dobbs has had in a game between his college and professional career.
Since joining the Vikings, Dobbs has turned the ball over eight times in four games. That certainly isn’t a recipe for success, as the luster seems to have worn off from the start of his tenure with the team.
It will be interesting to see what O’Connell decides to do, as Jefferson was activated off the injured reserve this week. That puts him on track to return to the lineup in Week 14 when the Vikings head on the road to face the Las Vegas Raiders.
Having Jefferson in the lineup will make things easier for whoever is under center in two weeks for the team. Should it be Dobbs, he will likely be on a short leash after throwing four interceptions in the loss to the Bears.
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