Nick Mullens, the Vikings Quarterback, might create history with his first start.
Nick Mullens, the quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings, will make his team debut when he takes the field for kickoff in Week 15.
This season, he will be the fourth player to start at that position for them.
According to Stathead, he will also be one of 56 different quarterbacks to start an NFL game this season, and 57 if Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is sidelined this week.
There are just thirty-two teams.
But the story doesn’t end there. The former undrafted free agent, who was signed before the previous season to back up Kirk Cousins, has the potential to make history.
On December 14, Kevin Seifert of ESPN reported, “According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Vikings will be the 29th NFL team since 1950 to endure that frequency of turnover at the position.” “Just four of the last 28 teams have advanced to the postseason, and each of those four has at least somewhat recovered from their original starter.
“With the exception of the 1987 strike season, none of them managed to win all seven games with all four of their starters, even in the chaotic interim.”
Mullens might make the Vikings the first team in NFL history to accomplish this.
Mullens must lead the Vikings to the promised land while Cousins is sidelined for the season. A victory versus the Cincinnati Bengals, who also lost quarterback Joe Burrow for the season, would significantly increase the Vikings’ chances of qualifying for the postseason.
According to Seifert, the Vikings have a 78.5% probability of making the playoffs if they win, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index. Right now, Minnesota’s chances of qualifying for the postseason are 63.1%.
In a loss, their probabilities fall to 51.5%, which is still a good percentage. But still, a notable distinction.
NFL Coaches Have Faith in Nick Mullens
There is no doubt that Mullens has the backing of the coaching staff. Kevin O’Connell, the head coach, made the decision to switch quarterbacks fast. One day, after giving the impression that they could postpone the call until later in the week, he did just that.
In addition, Mullens’ talents and experience with the personnel and offense were emphasized by offensive coordinator Wes Phillips as opposed to Josh Dobbs, who had struggled in his previous four starts (going 2-2).
“Nick is familiar with this offense. He’s been with us for a while,” Phillips stated on December 13 through the group. “Despite Josh’s excellent work and my gratitude for him, I think Nick is more used to our system simply because he has spent more time here and has received more reps during the offseason and training camp. Thus, I believe you’ll witness a productive bunch.”
In Week 14, Mullens passed for 83 yards on 69.3% of his passes against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner expressed his sympathy for Josh Dobbs, citing missed throws as one of the problems the Vikings quarterback dealt with before to being benched.
“It’s crucial to watch every play and not just focus on the outcomes,” Warner wrote on X on December 12. “I think he played well, dropped passes everywhere, and of course [sic] missed some, but it was by no means a “benching” performance, in my opinion!”
