Vikings benching is criticized by Hall of Fame QB

NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner thinks the Minnesota Vikings should not have benched Josh Dobbs after watching the footage.

In the lowest-scoring game in 16 years on Sunday, December 10, Dobbs found it difficult to advance the offense. After three quarters, he only completed 10 of 23 throws for 63 yards. The Vikings then substituted Nick Mullens, who led the game’s lone touchdown drive in a 3-0 victory over the Raiders.

Those who watched the game will not be surprised that Minnesota named Mullens the starting lineup this week in response to Dobbs’ concerning performance. Warner, however, feels that Dobbs was let down by the roleplayers and that his performance is still good enough to keep him in the starting lineup after reviewing the footage.

On Wednesday, December 13, Warner wrote on X (previously Twitter), “Just watched (the) Vikings tape, and I feel for Josh Dobbs being benched.” It’s crucial to watch every play rather than only focus on the outcomes. He performed admirably, in my opinion, even if he lost passes all over the place and missed a few. It was by no means a “benching” performance.

Warner has a point.

Dobbs (68.5) has a higher grade than Mullens (59.3) from Pro Football Focus. Dobbs was not helped by the Vikings throwing six interceptions while he was on the field, nor by the offensive line’s atrophy from injuries.

Although it’s up for debate how much of the Vikings’ dismal offensive output is attributable to Dobbs, Warner provided background on his opinion that Dobbs shouldn’t have been benched by posting a movie analysis on his YouTube channel.

Kevin O’Connell Says Josh Dobbs Understands Why He Was Benched

Head coach Kevin O’Connell gave Mullens a pat on the back after the player came into action on Sunday and produced a passable touchdown drive. Mullens will start the game on Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals.

With this move, Dobbs’ career takes yet another unexpected turn. The seasoned journeyman was the first quarterback, outside of Baker Mayfield, to start for three different clubs in a single calendar year.

In a press conference on Tuesday, December 12, O’Connell stated, “Josh led us to three wins for the better part of four games and three quarters there. There are a lot of teams in this league that when they do lose their starter, it takes a lot to overcome that and continue pressing onward.” The team we’re playing this week is going through it, and Jake Browning is doing a lot of excellent work to help them win some games at the ideal time of year. Josh seems to be aware of the procedure and our previous state, in my opinion.