Kurt Warner Goes to Bat for Vikings QB
The Minnesota Vikings are making another QB change this weekend by opting to start Nick Mullens in Week 15.
This comes following a 3-0 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders in which Josh Dobbs completed 10 of 23 passes for just 63 yards before being benched in the fourth quarter. However, how much of this lackluster performance was actually his fault? According to one Hall of Fame QB, Kurt Warner, Dobbs may have gotten the raw end of the deal.
Kurt Warner Goes to Bat for Vikings QB
Warner tweeted on Wednesday, “Just watched Vikings tape & I feel for Joshua Dobbs being benched … so important to watch each play & not just see the results… I feel he played well, dropped passes all over, some things didn’t work & of course missed some, but far from a “benching” performance IMO!”
So what exactly does Warner mean by that? Few people on earth are able to break down QB play to the level of former NFL QBs themselves, and Warner did exactly that for this Raiders game. He posted an 18-minute film breakdown on his YouTube channel — “Kurt Warner x QB Confidential” — going over many of Dobbs’ drop backs in this game.
Warner’s main argument deduces that while, yes, there were some major mistakes from Dobbs during the game, many of the struggles came from play calling as well as pressure getting home far too often. Dobbs was sacked a season-high five times on Sunday, so Warner may be on to something with his case.
It is certainly an interesting argument and opens up the discussion of how much blame should go on a QB for a poor game as opposed to other factors that occur throughout the matchup.
The Dobbs saga in Minnesota began shortly after Kirk Cousins suffered his torn Achilles in Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers. The Vikings acquired him via trade with the Arizona Cardinals, and just days later, he was thrown into their Week 9 game against the Atlanta Falcons following Jaren Hall’s first quarter concussion.
The first two weeks went swimmingly as Dobbs led the Vikings to a pair of wins over the Falcons and New Orleans Saints, but then, things started coming off the rails in Denver. From Weeks 11-14 (with a Week 13 bye mixed in), the Vikings have scored just 33 points, and if it weren’t for a heroic effort from their defense last Sunday, they very well could be 0-3 during this stretch.
Regardless of whether Dobbs deserves blame or not, the Vikings need more production out of their offense over the final four weeks of the season. Thus, they’ve decided to give Mullens a crack at running the unit and seeing if he can find any more success.
So, what do you think Vikings fans? Are the Vikings making the right move by benching Dobbs in favor of Mullens? Be sure to cast your votes in the poll down below.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.