Thank you for submitting questions for this Vikings mailbag. You can send questions to @Andrew_Krammer on X (formerly Twitter) or andrew.krammer@startribune.com. Listen for answers to more reader questions on the weekly Access Vikings podcast or find them here. Let's get to it.
Q: Kirk Cousins plays 149 NFL games without a serious injury and on number 150 … So, who are the most likely QBs to finish the season for the Vikings? Jaren Hall? Nick Mullens? Sean Mannion? Or Josh Dobbs? — Rick
AK: This likely hinges on quarterback Nick Mullens' health. He's dealing with a low back strain that is not exactly predictable, and General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and coach Kevin O'Connell have both said it's uncertain when he'll be available. Mullens is eligible to return from injured reserve as soon as Nov. 12 against the Saints. But the team is not saying he'll be able to play by then. The educated guess in this corner is Mullens would be the preferred starter given his experience in O'Connell's offense. Mullens, 28, also has more NFL experience — 17 starts — than Dobbs (10 starts), Mannion (three) and Hall (zero) combined. He would most likely give the Vikings the best chance of operating an on-time offense, and perhaps the most expansive offense since Dobbs just arrived.
When asked if Dobbs was acquired to start, Adofo-Mensah on Wednesday said "there's a little uncertainty" with Mullens, indicating Dobbs was brought in as a veteran option in case Mullens can't play soon or at all this season. While Dobbs learns the playbook, Hall will get his first NFL start on Sunday in Atlanta. Perhaps Hall can take the job and run with it. This team should be open to surprises at this point. The Dobbs acquisition is a signal that they do not want to play Mannion, the 31-year-old practice squad passer who wasn't on an NFL team this season until the Vikings called in October when Mullens went down.
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Q: What should the realistic expectations be for Jaren Hall on Sunday? Would they give him the job the rest of the way? — Ivan
AK: Dovetailing with the last question, the Vikings should be open to Hall surprising fans, media and perhaps some inside TCO Performance Center by playing well in his first NFL start. Because realistic expectations should be that he'll struggle like the other two late-round quarterbacks who have started already this season: the Raiders' Aidan O'Connell and the Browns' Dorian Thompson-Robinson. They combined for 359 passing yards, no touchdowns, six turnovers and 11 sacks in one start apiece. In Thompson-Robinson's case, that was enough for Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski, who has started journeyman quarterback P.J. Walker since. O'Connell, the Las Vegas rookie, will be under center again this week after the Raiders fired their GM and coach.
Assuming Hall looks on Sunday like most inexperienced, late-round quarterbacks, the Vikings might be preparing Dobbs to make his first start next week. That is unless Mullens' back strain turns around in time.
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Q: Will Kevin O'Connell give up the running back rotation of two series for Mattison, one for Cam Akers? Also, could we see both backs on the field at the same time? — @Randallbry98
AK: Through four of the five games in Minnesota, Akers has played just 25%-40% of the snaps as Mattison continues to start and lead the backfield committee. Neither have been particularly effective as they combined for 25 carries and 50 rushing yards last week in Green Bay. Coaches have talked about players "taking turns" messing up assignments in the blocking schemes, but Mattison and Akers have also lacked creativity or urgency at different times. Tilting the workloads more toward either Akers or Mattison might not make much of a difference considering they're getting similar results in their own roles. Akers flashed with the 6-yard touchdown against the Packers, but you'll also see Green Bay gave them an incredibly light front — five, maybe six defenders — for being backed up at their own goal line. Few are respecting the Vikings' threat to run, and someone needs to take advantage of that. Akers has not yet consistently done that. This backfield desperately needs a hot hand.
