The Minnesota Vikings will be giving rookie quarterback Jaren Hall another try against the Green Bay Packers.
This is the fourth time the team has made a change at the quarterback position since Week 9. The decision comes after Minnesota took a few days to consider its options in Nick Mullens and Josh Dobbs.
Why didn’t Dobbs end up getting the starting nod?
Minnesota Vikings To Start Rookie QB Jaren Hall Sunday
The move was expected after head coach Kevin O’Connell alluded to possibly making a switch at quarterback earlier this week.
“We’re trying to work through what still gives us the best chance to be explosive, but we’ve got to still possess the ball,” O’Connell said. “All three of those guys [Mullens, Hall, and Dobbs] are worthy of being involved in that discussion. We’ll make the best decision in the interest of winning games.”
Mullens has started each of the last two games for Minnesota after he took over for Dobbs as the fellow veteran also started to struggle.
After a strong start, Dobbs’ play started to deteriorate. In Week 13 against the Bears, he threw four picks and racked up just 185 yards.
In Week 14 against the Raiders, Dobbs completed just 10 of 23 passes for 63 yards before being sidelined for Mullens. Mullens went 9 of 13 for 83 yards, leading the Vikings to victory.
Mullens retained his spot at the top of the depth chart ahead of Week 16 and had a decent showing against the Bengals as Dobbs was demoted to the third-tier spot.
MORE: Minnesota Vikings Depth Chart
With his struggles, it is likely that Dobbs time with the Vikings this season is over as the team looks to clinch a playoff spot.
On Christmas Eve against the Lions, Mullens completed 61.1% of his passes for 411 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions. Mullens also had two picks in the loss to Cincinnati the week prior.
“We have to maintain possession of the football,” O’Connell told reporters on Thursday, via ESPN.com. “The turnover margin has been well-talked about all season long, and I just felt like at this time, giving Jaren a full week of preparation and a clear-cut mindset on the game plan [was best]. I’m excited to see what Jaren can ultimately do.”
Minnesota, which is currently the eighth-seeded team in the NFC standings, is starting rookie Hall over Mullens for Sunday night’s must-win game over the Packers.
Hall was the first quarterback to be called up in the aftermath of Kirk Cousins’ season-ending Achilles tear. Cousins went down early in the fourth quarter of the 24-10 win, and Hall went 3 of 4 for 23 yards in the relief appearance.
He started that first game following Cousins’ injury when the Vikings faced the Falcons in Week 9, but Hall suffered a concussion in the first quarter, which paved the way for Dobbs to come in.
Hall was a fifth-round pick by the Vikings out of BYU this offseason. The Vikings were encouraged by Hall’s performance in his brief appearance against the Falcons, during which he completed 5 of 6 passes for 78 yards.
Hall said Thursday that he will be more aware of the force NFL players hit with.
“There’s a lot of big dudes out there,” he said. “A lot of fast dudes, and you’ve got to learn to play within the system and play the right way to avoid stuff like that happening to the best of your ability. It’s definitely something I’ve noted and hope to be better at.
“You’ve got to realize how fast guys play. You’ve got to be smart about the times you use your legs, and you’ve got to get down. There’s no superhero ball you need to play. The game is won over four quarters, not one play, and you’ve just got to remember that.”
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