THREE THINGS WE’LL BE WATCHING
Mullens making starting debut with Vikings | By Ellis Williams
For the first time in franchise history, the Vikings are starting their fourth different quarterback within one season.
Minnesota is turning to six-year veteran Nick Mullens, who has backed up Kirk Cousins since the Vikings traded to acquire him from Las Vegas in August 2022. Mullens was on Injured Reserve when Cousins suffered his Achilles injury at Green Bay in Week 8 but has recovered from a back injury.
He will make his first start with the Vikings, and it will be his first time to open an NFL game since Dec. 20, 2021 (with Cleveland against Las Vegas).
When O’Connell named Mullens the starter on Tuesday, he mentioned a few key reasons. First and most importantly, he said he believes Mullens gives the Vikings the best chance to win at Cincinnati. O’Connell thought Mullens demonstrated rhythm and poise versus the Raiders in last week’s relief performance.
“I really thought he … demonstrated his ability to prepare, come in, play in rhythm, be accurate with the ball, make great decisions. And I think with where we are as an offense right now, it’s about our execution with all 11 guys,” O’Connell said. “We’ve been able to kind of help him work through the lower back injury, and he feels really, really good. He feels ready to go. Which is a huge part of this decision. Making sure that Nick felt really good about the opportunity moving forward.”
Mullens completed nine of 13 passes for 83 yards in the win. His first pass (though deflected) gained 26 yards to tight end T.J. Hockenson. But it was his second drive that added belief that Mullens should start. He led a 13-play series that gained 56 yards and ended with Greg Joseph’s 36-yard game-winning field goal.
On that drive, Mullens converted three third downs via completions, and O’Connell called 10 passes.
“Getting to see Nick get a little more work last week … and execute our offense in rhythm at a really high level, understanding and running the show with a feel of what our offense felt like with him in there with some of those big-time throws on third down, where he put his back foot in the ground and gave our guys a chance to make a play. It was all positive to see,” O’Connell said.