Vikings will start Joshua Dobbs Sunday at Raiders

EAGAN, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Vikings are back from their bye week and getting ready to face the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, and Joshua Dobbs will be their starting quarterback.

Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell confirmed on Wednesday at TCO Performance Center they are sticking with Dobbs despite his four interceptions in a 12-10 loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football at U.S. Bank Stadium. Dobbs led a 31-28 comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons just four days after coming to Minnesota via trade, after Jaren Hall went down with a concussion.

"I think it’s important that Josh understands that I have that belief in him. We’re not just looking at this like ‘Hey, you won us a couple games when we were short-handed and now we’re moving on.’ I believe that Josh deserves the right to feel that belief from myself. I know he feels it from his teammates," O'Connell said.

Dobbs also helped lead the Vikings to a 27-19 win over the New Orleans Saints, but he also now has five interceptions and three lost fumbles in four games. Dobbs should get some help offensively, with star receiver Justin Jefferson expected to return for the first time in seven games from a hamstring injury.

O'Connell said the evaluation on Dobbs and if he would be the quarterback against the Raiders started after the loss to the Bears heading into the bye week. He evaluated film of Dobbs both with Arizona earlier this season, and in his four games with the Vikings so far.

The Vikings considered making a change at quarterback during the team’s bye week, but ultimately decided to stick with Dobbs. Nick Mullens is expected to be the back-up, and Hall will be the emergency quarterback at Las Vegas.

"When I informed him of the decision, I could see the excitement on his face. It’s pretty remarkable sometimes just showing somebody the belief that you have in them and ultimately that you’re in the fight with them and you’re going to do whatever you can to help them," O'Connell said. "We’ll see, this is not something where we can predict perfect results or we’re expecting perfection. It’s about the principles of improvement."

Dobbs said the conversation with O'Connell about what the Vikings would do at quarterback started after the loss to the Bears. The two sat and watched film over the bye week, and have been in regular communication.

"The conversation was smooth and open. I’ll keep everything that we talked about pretty in-house, but the conversation was open from the second the game ended last week to this moment here on Wednesday," Dobbs said. "At the end of the day, I prepare the same no matter what my role is. I love the opportunity to start and compete, and I plan on making the most of this opportunity and bouncing back from the last time on the field."

Dobbs has 832 passing yards and five touchdowns with the Vikings. He has 142 rushing yards and three scores on the ground. His ability to make plays and extend them with his legs gives O'Connell and the Vikings a dimension the Vikings have mostly lacked.

The Vikings are 6-6 and looking to snap a two-game skid with a win over the Raiders, and stay in the thick of the NFC Playoff conversation. With five regular season games left, Minnesota is currently in the No. 6 spot. There's a lot left to play for, especially with three NFC North games left.

"I want to play the best football I can. All the guys in here, we’ve worked so hard to get to this moment where we hold our own destiny," Dobbs said. "So when the ball is in my hands, I don’t want any question or hesitation out there on that field. I want to go out and play as clean as possible."