‘We’ll take a look at everything’

Prior to Monday night, the chatter around Joshua Dobbs was whether he’d emerge as a hot free agent and a full-time starting quarterback next season.

After Monday’s performance against the Chicago Bears, it’s not certain that he’ll start the next game for the Minnesota Vikings. Dobbs threw four interceptions in the 12-10 loss and would have thrown a fifth had Jaylon Johnson not dropped a near certain pick-six before halftime.

After the game, head coach Kevin O’Connell declined to commit to Dobbs as Minnesota’s starting quarterback against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Vikings have a bye next week before facing Raiders in Week 14. O’Connell intends to spend part of that time evaluating Dobbs and Minnesota’s other options at quarterback amid the season-ending Achilles injury to starter Kirk Cousins.

Those other options are backup Nick Mullens and third-string rookie Jaren Hall.

“We’re gonna take a look, really evaluate the inventory of plays now we have of Josh,” O’Connell said in his postgame news conference. “We got healthy, we’ve got Jaren back available to us. And Nick Mullens is available as well.”

Will Joshua Dobbs start for the Vikings against the Raiders? (Adam Bettcher/Getty Images) (Adam Bettcher via Getty Images)

The Vikings traded for Dobbs from the Arizona Cardinals at the trade deadline after Cousins’ injury, and Dobbs exceeded expectations prior to Monday. In three games against the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints and Denver Broncos, Dobbs completed 65.6% of his passes for 6.7 yards per attempt and 215.7 yards per game with four touchdowns and one interception. He added 131 yards and three more touchdowns on the ground. The Vikings beat the Saints and Falcons before last week’s 21-20 loss to the Broncos.

O’Connell praised Dobbs for his efforts in those games coming in cold to the offense from another team.

“I think what Josh Dobbs has done coming in here on short notice and going 2-2 in a stretch where a lot of people might have thought Kirk Cousins…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/vikings-coach-kevin-oconnell-wont-commit-to-josh-dobbs-at-qb-after-bye-well-take-a-look-at-everything-060640296.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2023-11-28 06:06:40

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