After naming veteran quarterback Nick Mullens the starter earlier this week, head coach Kevin O’Connell confirmed that journeyman Josh Dobbs will serve as the backup when the Vikings face the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Sunday afternoon.
“I think Josh has kind of been able to go about this week in a process of getting a little bit more reps here and there,” O’Connor said. “Just spending a little bit of time with (quarterbacks coach) Chris (O’Hara) and (assistant quarterbacks coach) Grant (Udinski), making sure he’s dialed in and ready to go.”
It will be Dobbs’ first game action since being benched last month. Jaren Hall, the rookie quarterback, will be inactive and will only be able to enter the game in an emergency if both Mullens and Dobbs are injured.
When asked about the decision, O’Connell hinted that it had less to do with Dobbs’ continued advancement in the offense and more to do with Hall’s continued development within the system. Dobbs, on the other hand, is more prepared to play in a game if necessary, whereas Hall is still learning the intricacies of the position.
“I didn’t think it was fair to Jaren to possibly have him in a situation where, unless he’s injured, he can’t come out of the game,” he said. “There’s still a lot of faith in where he’s at.” I’ve been impressed with the way he’s attacked this week, regardless of where he was on the depth chart. That, I believe, is the hope for any good young player with a bright future.”
O’Connell appears to have gone out of his way to express his support for Hall following the Vikings’ humiliating 33-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers on New Year’s Eve. Hall was undeniably overwhelmed on his way to being benched at halftime. He admitted after the game that based on his performance, he would have benched himself.
Though the performance was lacking in real-time, O’Connell highlighted some of the things Hall did well after struggling in the beginning. For example, there was a 13-yard completion to star receiver Justin Jefferson, followed by a 20-yard completion to rookie receiver Jordan Addison.
“He was able to respond in a way that at least gave him an opportunity to go back in there and have some success,” he said. “That is a real positive.”
As he reflected on the past month, during which Mullens, Dobbs, and Hall had all been benched, O’Connell praised them for remaining calm in the face of adversity. Since franchise quarterback Kirk Cousins went down in Week 8, this hasn’t been an easy task. Mullens, Dobbs, and Hall have worked together to get to the finish line.
“There is a reason why all of those guys are here,” O’Connell explained. “There is a reason why each of them have been given opportunities and done some good things.”
