Only three players in NFL history have had more passing yards in their first 19 starts than Minnesota Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens.
With 5,266 passing yards over that span, the former Spain Park High School star ranks behind Patrick Mahomes, Kurt Warner and Justin Herbert. Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers are current Pro Bowl quarterbacks. Warner is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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Mullens is preparing to make his 20th NFL start on Sunday. More than five years have passed since his first appearance.
Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell announced Wednesday that the Vikings will have Mullens back at quarterback for the regular-season finale against the Detroit Lions. This is a game Minnesota must win as a first-choice NFL team with slim playoff hopes.
Minnesota started three QBs in December, including Mullens twice. He also appeared in relief twice.
“Nick has been very effective running our team,” O’Connell said Wednesday when announcing his quarterback decision. “We were very explosive as an offense when he was there. Nick told us that what we have to focus on is holding onto the football and not letting the football go. Really, on some of these heavy type downs, third downs, in the second minute, he has to be a good decision maker when we’re in that kind of throwing mode. We have to trust that the other 10 guys are going to do their best to get through the situation of going out against a defense that plays really, really good football at a high level and in a great atmosphere. Please try.”
The Vikings’ QB merry-go-round began when Kirk Cousins injured his Achilles tendon in Game 8 of the season on October 29th. Mullens was supposed to be in Minnesota’s lineup if Cousins left midway through the season, but the Vikings placed him on injured reserve. Reserved on October 11th due to back illness.
With Cousins and Mullens out, fifth-round rookie Jalen Hall entered the lineup at quarterback. However, after 15 snaps in his first start, Hall was sent off to undergo concussion testing. This leaves Minnesota with Josh Dobbs at quarterback. Dobbs started eight games for Arizona this season, but the Cardinals traded him to the Vikings on October 31 as Kyler Murray returned from injured reserve.
Dobbs replaced Hall without practicing and led Minnesota to a 31-28 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Nov. 5. After a week of practice, Dobbs won again in November when the Vikings defeated the New Orleans Saints 27-19. However, losses to the Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears continued, and on December 10, Minnesota tied 0-0 with the Las Vegas Raiders, and Mullens made his first appearance of the season in relief of Dobbs.
On his second possession, Mullens led Minnesota on a 56-yard, 13-play drive that ended with Greg Joseph’s 36-yard field goal on the first play after the two-minute warning. Mullens completed three third-down passes during the series, leading to a 3-0 Vikings victory.
This promoted Mullens to the starting lineup the following week. In Minnesota’s 27-24 overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, he completed 26 of 33 passes for 303 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions, with the Bengals receiving a touchdown with 39 seconds left in the fourth quarter. He tied the game on downs and then scored. Extension period.
Mullens remained in the lineup and completed 22 of 36 passes for 411 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions the following week. Mullens recorded one of the NFL’s six 400-yard passing games this season, but had four interceptions in the Vikings’ 30-24 loss to the Detroit Lions on Dec. 24. He even recorded one of our games.
“He has a good understanding of the principles of the offense and I think a lot of reps have signed him up as our backup over the last two years,” O’Connell said. “And as close as he is with Kirk, their preparation has always been the best, whether Nick plays or not. Like, we knew we could trust him to go into the game and get the team going. Every game he started was very competitive right up until the end. If you look back at the second, third, fourth play, what does that mean for our team, even if we were able to maintain possession of the football, that drive?”
Mullens has 27 interceptions in 19 starts. Warner’s 19 interceptions are the most of the trio ahead of him in passing yards.
Minnesota returned to the Hall on Sunday night. But the Vikings led the Green Bay Packers 10-0 at halftime, as the rookie quarterback completed 5-of-10 for 67 yards, including one interception and one lost fumble. , Minnesota switched to Mullens in the second half. Mullens completed 13 of 22 passes for 113 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions, but the Packers won 33-10.
Mullens will take another hit on Detroit’s defense when the Vikings visit the Lions on Sunday at noon (CST).
Detroit earned the NFC North and a home playoff game. Minnesota lost three in a row, dropping the Vikings to 7 wins and 9 losses, all but extinguishing their postseason chances. But there’s still a chance.
For Minnesota to make the NFC playoff field, the Vikings must beat the Lions, the Packers must lose to the Chicago Bears, the Seattle Seahawks must lose to the Arizona Cardinals, and the New Orleans Saints or Tampa Bay Buccaneers must beat the Lions. must lose. The Saints will face the Atlanta Falcons, and the Buccaneers will face the Carolina Panthers.
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Mark Inabinet is a sports reporter with Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @AMarkG1.