Nick Mullens Will Start Over Joshua Dobbs for Vikings vs. Bengals in Week 15

The Minnesota Vikings announced they will start at quarterback in Week 15 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Mullens replaced Joshua Dobbs midway through Minnesota's 3-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. He went 9-of-13 for 83 yards in relief of Dobbs, who had thrown for 63 yards on 23 attempts.

It looked like Vikings caught lightning in a bottle with Dobbs after acquiring him from the Arizona Cardinals, and to some degree they did. He helped them earn wins over the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints, but the magic has long since worn off.

Head coach Kevin O'Connell had clearly begun to lose faith after Dobbs' four-interception showing in a Week 12 loss to the Chicago Bears, and this past Sunday was the final straw.

Mullens brings more starting experience, and he's more familiar with Minnesota's offense after having spent last year with the team.

His performance after leaving the San Francisco 49ers has so far failed to match what he delivered in a Kyle Shanahan-led offense, though.

The Southern Miss product threw for 4,714 yards, 25 touchdowns and 22 interceptions with an 87.2 passer rating in 19 appearances with the Niners. Since then, He has 454 yards, two touchdowns and one interception through the air in six games.

Mullens is unlikely to inspire much confidence within the fanbase as the Vikings attempt to hold onto the sixth seed in the NFC. Only one game separates them from the 11th-place New Orleans Saints, so it won't take much to throw Minnesota's playoff quest into disarray.

With Justin Jefferson also still day-to-day with a chest injury, the state of the Vikings offense could be too dire to overcome.