Joshua Dobbs stats Vikings QBs interceptions vs. Bears have Kevin OConnell contemplating quarterback change

Joshua Dobbs stats Vikings QBs interceptions vs. Bears have Kevin OConnell contemplating quarterback change

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The Vikings entered their "Monday Night Football" matchup against the Bears with a chance to cut into the Lions' lead in the NFC North ahead of their Week 13 bye.However, despite a stellar effort from Brian Flores' defense, Minnesota wasn't able to earn the victory. The Vikings lost 12-10 after Justin Fields led Chicago on a game-winning drive that culminated in a Cairo Santos field goal with 10 seconds left in the game.While it was the defense that faltered in the game's final minutes, Minnesota's offense was the inept unit for most of the evening. The team struggled to move the ball consistently throughout most of the game, and turnovers once again became an i sue for a Vikings team that leads the NFL in giveaways.Notably, quarterback Joshua Dobbs put together his worst performance as a Viking. It also was his worst-ever outing as an NFL starting quarterback in his small sample size of starts.Could that be the end of the honeymoon for Dobbs and the Vikings? Minnesota coach Kevin O'Connell was noncommittal about starting Dobbs again after his poor outing on Monday.MORE: Here's what to know about Dobbs' performance and the quarterback conundrum that the Vikings are facing as they prepare for a postseason push.Dobbs struggled throughout his Week 12 matchup with the Bears. He completed 22 of 32 pa ses for 185 yards and a touchdown, but he threw a career-high four interceptions during the contest. As a result, he posted a career-worst pa ser rating of 54.3 and a QBR of just 19.3.Prior to Monday night, Dobbs had never posted more than two interceptions in a single game. And acro s his 10 other starts in 2023, he had logged just six picks.Thus, it's easy to understand why O'Connell and Vikings fans were frustrated with Dobbs' performance. It simply wasn't good enough to put Minnesota over the top in a winnable game.MORE: Dobbs threw four interceptions during his game against the Bears on Monday. While not all Patrick Sharp Jersey of them were his fault, he still shares in the blame for Minnesota's poor ball security.Dobbs' interception i sues started on the Vikings' second po se sion when he took a shot down the sideline to rookie receiver Jordan Addison. However, he didn't see that Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson had read Addison's route well and was coming from a distance to undercut it.A big play from Jaylon Johnson!: on ESPN/ABC: Stream on NFL (@NFL) Johnson did well to disguise his coverage on that play, but Dobbs' pa s still could have been better.That said, the fault for Dobbs' second interception belongs more with Addison than the quarterback. Dobbs hit his rookie in the hands over the middle of the field on a third down, but he dropped it. The ball then glanced into the arms of a diving Jaquan Brisker to give the Bears po se sion once again.Jaquan Brisker intercepts it off the dropped pa s : on ESPN/ABC: Stream on NFL (@NFL) ESPN's color commentator Troy Aikman noted that Dobbs' pa s came in "a little bit hot"; even so, that's a catch Addison should make more often than not.Dobbs' third pick came on a fourth-down attempt in the third quarter. He tried to fit the ball to K.J. Osborn in tight coverage, but the Bears knocked it into the air and came down with it for another turnover.And Edwards follows it up with the Bears 3rd INT of the game : on ESPN/ABC: Stream on NFL (@NFL) That interception actually ended up netting the Vikings some yardage in the field position battle. Had it just fallen incomplete, the Bears would have had the ball on the 44-yard line rather than the 32.Dobbs' final interception was arguably his worst of the day. The Vikings quarterback tried to check the ball down to his fullback C.J. Ham while he was under pre sure in the pocket.Instead, he threw it right into the hands of defensive tackle Justin Jones. And while Jones couldn't come down with it, defensive back Kyler Gordon was able to do so after a couple of bobbles.FOUR INTs for the Bears.This time it's Kyler Gordon.: on ESPN/ABC: Stream on NFL (@NFL) Again, the interceptions weren't all Dobbs' fault Jordan Oesterle Men Jersey , but it's worth noting that he had at least one more potential pick dropped. That came when Johnson nearly logged a pick-six after undercutting a short pa s thrown to T.J. Hockenson.Fields wanted the pick-six : on ESPN/ABC: Stream on NFL (@NFL) So clearly, Dobbs just wasn't reading the field and finding enough open space well enough on Monday. And though the Bears only scored three points off Minnesota's four turnovers, that proved to be the difference in the team's two-point lo s.NFL WEEK 13 PICKS: | The Vikings are now facing a key decision coming out of their "Monday Night Football" lo s. Will they continue to roll with Dobbs as their starter, or will they become him?At present, it seems like O'Connell is going to take the bye week to a se s both options, as he explained after the game."We're going to take a look and really evaluate the inventory of plays we have of Josh," O'Connell said, per . "We got healthy. We got Jaren Hall back available to us, and then Nick Mullens is available as well."Does O'Connell have a lean yet? It should be noted that he considered pulling Dobbs from Monday's game as he looked for a way to reignite his offense."We definitely had started to get to the point where I was just trying to think, almost, what would give us a spark," O'Connell said.That Dobbs remained in the game is a good sign for the veteran, but it's still clear that he is on tenuous footing. Even so, he isn't worried too much about his role with the team and is letting O'Connell handle the "coaching decision" of who will start at quarterback."I just focus on myself," Dobbs said. "Focus on how I can help this team win. Focus on how Dominik Kubalik Men Jersey I can be a better teammate, a better quarterback and focus on how I can make sure the offense is in the right play based on the scenario to go out and execute."POWER RANKINGS: At present, the Vikings have three quarterbacks on their active roster. Below is a look at how they stack up on the team's depth chart.RankPlayer1Joshua Dobbs2Nick Mullens3Jaren HallIf Dobbs were to be benched, Mullens would likely be inserted into the lineup as the team's new starter. He backed up Dobbs on Monday and has 17 career starts under his belt.While Mullens' career record of 5-12 isn't any great shakes, he has completed 65.3 percent of his pa ses for5,085 yards, 27 touchdowns and 23 interceptions in that span. It's also worth noting that Mullens completed 21 of 25 pa ses for 224 yards, one touchdown and one pick in relief of Kirk Cousins last season, so he has looked good at times in O'Connell's offense.Meanwhile, Hall is a fifth-round rookie who has played sparingly during his rookie season for the Vikings. He started against the Falcons in Week 9 and completed 8 of 10 pa ses for 101 yards before being knocked out with a concu sion. He was then replaced by Dobbs and saw Mullens reclaim his backup spot after the veteran came off injured reserve.Perhaps if the Vikings are looking for a true spark, they'll go with the unknown in Hall, who has good mobility and athleticism at the position. But at present, he remains the team's third-string option though he could be elevated to the backup role after Dobbs faltered in Week 12.
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