Josh Dobbs doesn't have much room for error as Vikings gun for playoffs
The Minnesota Vikings are fighting for their playoff lives on a weekly basis. Each victory boost their chances of getting, which are currently sitting at 42%, and each loss can drop them like a rock. The margin for error is small. Very small. Especially when considering the current quarterback situation. Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said […]
The Minnesota Vikings are fighting for their playoff lives on a weekly basis. Each victory boost their chances of getting, which are currently sitting at 42%, and each loss can drop them like a rock.
The margin for error is small. Very small. Especially when considering the current quarterback situation. Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said Josh Dobbs will remain the starter, but Dobbs has turned the ball over six times in the last two games and it's a major reason why the team has lost both contests. Meaning, he's yet to consistently show he's the permanent answer to the question.
O'Connell basically said Dobbs is on a week-to-week basis when it comes to his position as starting quarterback on Wednesday he spoke with reporters.
"Yeah, our whole mentality coming out of this bye is about 60 minutes on Sunday, so I've really taken that same mindset with our game plan, with our defensive thought process coming out of the bye, special teams and the kicking game for sure as well," O'Connell told reporters. "What can we do with the extra time – the Raiders also have that time as well, it's not like we have more time than our opponent – so we're looking at it like, what can we do to maximize our preparation and worry about the 60 minutes that are out in front of us at 1 o’clock on Sunday in Vegas."
It makes sense that Dobbs has a short leash
O'Connell mentioned helping Dobbs with footwork and timing and other fundamentals that should lead to avoiding turnovers and better play. It was worked on over the bye week and the hope is that, along with Dobbs' veteran experience, will translate into what the Vikings saw during the journeyman's first two games with the team.
But what if Dobbs doesn't hit the ground running? What if he struggles and the Vikings lose their third straight game? Will the Vikings be willing to put another potential loss on the line during the most crucial stretch of their season?
This is entirely my opinion, but no, they wouldn't. And they shouldn't. Especially if a guy like Nick Mullens is healthy. Which he is.
"You have to take that into account with what his season has been like and trying to give him the maximum time to recover from his back injury," said O'Connell. "He’s really ramped up since getting his window opened and then eventually activated back to the roster. I feel good about where Nick’s health is at, but knowing we’ve got five critical opportunities to go, we feel great about our plan that we have for Josh and his ability to go out there and move the team, limit the negatives, and try to go win some football games.
"At the same time, whether it’s Nick or Jaren [Hall], I feel like we’ve got three quarterbacks we can win football games with, and what that looks like moving forward, the starting point is always the confidence in the room and the players and we have that and that’s what we feel good about."
It's one thing if Dobbs plays an OK game and other circumstances are the catalysts behind a loss, but he simply can't afford to go out there and fall into multiple turnovers. With the defense playing the way it has, lately, much of the Vikings wins and losses over the next few weeks will fall on the offense's shoulders and whomever is behind center.
Whether it's Dobbs for all five games or not remains to be seen, but as O'Connell said, the Vikings won't be scared to make a decision if they need to.
The hope is, however, they won't have to.
