The Minnesota Vikings narrowly lost to the Cincinnati Bengals 27-24 on Saturday. Still, quarterback Nick Mullens impressed and he will receive another opportunity in Week 16, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
The Vikings' defeat against the Bengals was a hard-fought loss in overtime. Mullens went 26-33 through the air with 303 yards and two touchdowns in the game. Minnesota has been searching for an answer at quarterback since Kirk Cousins went down with an injury, and it appears Mullens may offer the solution.
The 28-year-old made his NFL debut in 2018 with the San Francisco 49ers. He recorded inconsistent results over eight games that season with the 49ers.
Mullens then appeared in just one game in 2019 before playing in a total of 10 contests during the 2020 campaign, ultimately making eight starts. He struggled, however, and would end up with the Cleveland Browns in 2021.
After just one season (and one game played) in Cleveland, the Vikings took a chance on Mullens in 2022. He appeared in four games but made no starts. So far in 2023, Mullens has played in two games. If he performs well again in Week 16, he could lock up the starting quarterback gig for the remainder of the season.
Vikings fighting for playoff spot
Minnesota holds a 7-7 record heading into Week 16. If the season ended today, the Vikings would be in the postseason. However, there are still three weeks to play so Minnesota will need to finish the season on a high note.
Nick Mullens will need to be prepared to deal with the pressure. Minnesota's schedule will prove to be a challenge moving forward, as they still have two games remaining against the talented Detroit Lions. The Vikings are hopeful that Mullens will be able to lead them to an upset over Detroit.
If Minnesota's defense can step up and contain the Lions, the Vikings' offense should be able to score enough points to remain competitive.
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