The Vikings losing 12-10 at home to the Chicago Bears was everything no one in Minnesota asked for, but here we are and we have to talk about the ugly issues. Here are five things that really stood out…
1. We may have a QB controversy developing
If you weren’t following social media during the game you never would’ve known that after Josh Dobbs threw his fourth interception, backup quarterback Nick Mullens was warming up on the sideline.
Both Josh Dobbs and Nick Mullens are throwing before this next series
— Ben Goessling (@BenGoessling) November 28, 2023
Perhaps the only thing that prevented head coach Kevin O’Connell from benching Dobbs for Mullens is that Justin Fields fumbled just five plays into the next drive. If more time goes by would Mullens have been given the green light? O’Connell suggested after the game that he was considering a move.
2. Bears owned the first quarter
The Bears ran 19 plays and the Vikings snapped the ball just three times on offense. Minnesota literally had negative 7 yards in the first quarter, which is the fewest yards by a team in the first quarter of a NFL game dating back to 2019, according to ESPN.
3. Misfiring on a surefire touchdown
It doesn’t get any worse than the misconnection between Dobbs and Jordan Addison in the fourth quarter. Addison was wide open. Like, WIDE OPEN. Addison caught the ball but he was out of bounds, either because the throw was off target or because he lost track of where was on the field. If Addison catches the pass in stride he walks in for an easy touchdown.
The play happened with 7:40 left in the fourth quarter. Minnesota wound up scoring with 5:54 to play, and wouldn’t you know it that 1 minute, 46 seconds that could’ve been saved were costly as Chicago kicked the winning field goal with 10 seconds left.
this game is not serious pic.twitter.com/Y0TjxKRgUv
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) November 28, 2023
4. Why so conservative late?
After taking a 10-9 lead on Hockenson’s 17-yard touchdown with 5:54 to play, Josh Metellus forced Justin Fields to fumble and Anthony Barr recovered the ball at Chicago’s 43-yard line with 3 minutes, 36 seconds left in the game.
O’Connell called a run play to Alexander Mattison that went for no gain and then he called another run to Mattison that gained one yard. On third-and-nine with 2:41 to go, he called a passing play that Brandon Powell caught for a loss of a yard.
They couldn’t risk a 60-yard field goal attempt to give Chicago the ball at midfield, so they had to punt. Had they just picked up one first down the game would’ve been all but over. Had they just moved the ball from the 43 to 35 or so they could’ve given Greg Joseph a chance to make a long field goal and force the Bears to beat them with a touchdown rather than a field goal.
5. Vikings playoff status
If the playoffs started today the Vikings would be in as the seventh and final seed in the NFC. They’ve been in line for a date with the 49ers in San Francisco. Had they won, they would be 7-5 and in position to be the No. 6 seed, but also just one victory behind the Lions with two head-to-head games yet to come.
The Vikings entered the day with a 62.4% chance to make the playoffs. Had they won, their playoff chances would’ve increased to 70%. But the loss dropped their playoff odds to less than a coin flip at 48.7%.
There is now serious pressure on Minnesota as the Packers, Rams and Saints are each 5-6 and only one game behind Minnesota, though the Vikings do have head-to-head victories over the Packers and Saints in their back pocket as insurance.
