Minnesota Vikings starting quarterback Nick Mullens had a rough day against the Detroit Lions in Week 16, throwing four interceptions in an eventual 30-24 loss.
Mullens was once again a topic despite not being in action on Monday night.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy came under heavy fire for his showing in a loss to the Baltimore Ravens. He threw four interceptions, took two sacks, and got benched in favor of Sam Darnold.
Darnold had entered the game while Purdy was evaluated for injury, threw a touchdown, and got to finish out the 33-19 loss.
Mullens had taken various strays at that point, though.
“Who does Brock Purdy think he is, Nick Mullens,” asked @ProFootballTalk in a post on X during Purdy’s meltdown.
Ravens pick off Brock Purdy for the 4th time tonight. #RavensFlock
📺: #BALvsSF on ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/pkwa8SXokx pic.twitter.com/bvuYHRfC6X— NFL (@NFL) December 26, 2023
“Nick Mullens crawled so Brock Purdy could run,” posted @PurpleForTheWin.
“Brock Purdy is certainly trying to make Nick Mullens feel better about his week,” posted @tlschwerz.
Mullens finished with a better individual day in Week 16, completing 61.6% of his passes for 411 yards, two touchdowns, and those four picks. Purdy completed 56.2% of his passes for 255 yards and zero touchdowns.
The Vikings quarterback took four sacks on Sunday, though, giving him seven over the last two weeks. And he couldn’t avoid the stray shots on Monday night.
“Touching tribute to 49ers legend Nick Mullens tonight from Brock Purdy,” posted @cjzero.
Justin Jefferson Compares Nick Mullens to Kirk Cousins
It would have been bad enough for Mullens if the performance and some ribbing on social media were his only concerns. But there were also some notable comments made by star wide receiver Justin Jefferson after the game, comparing Mullens to injured starter Kirk Cousins.
“I really think it goes to show the rest of the world the type of player Kirk is. At the end of the day this is a tough league, and not everybody is meant for this job,” Jefferson said via the team on December 24. “It’s tough not having ‘8’ out there, the captain that he is, the leader that he is, and he’s a great player.”
Cousins hasn’t played since Week 8. He still leads the NFL in passing yards per game with 291.4 this season.
He is hoping to make a full recovery from his torn Achilles by the spring.
Jefferson finished the loss to Detroit with 141 yards and one touchdown on six receptions in 10 targets. It was his first 100-yard game since Week 3 versus the Los Angeles Chargers. The Vikings lost that game 28-24 with Cousins at the helm.
Jefferson tried to clarify his statements, which come amid questions about Mullens’ job security following another shaky performance.
“Nothing taken away from Nick,” Jefferson said. “Nick is a outstanding player as well. We just need to build on that confidence that we have. We just need to go on that practice field and make sure that we getting all the timing right, making sure the ball is where it needs to be, and we just need to carry that throughout the rest of the season.
Jefferson knows they can’t survive with Mullens playing as shaky as he has, though.
“We feel confident with the plays that we made out there,” Jefferson said. “We just need to have it at a more consistent basis.”
Nick Mullens Matches Vikings Hall-of-Famer Warren Moon
Mullens finished among some exclusive company in franchise history, joining Hall-of-Fame quarterback Warren Moon in the record books.
It is for all of the wrong reasons, though.
“Nick Mullens is the second quarterback in Vikings history with 400 yards and four interceptions in the same game,” Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune posted on December 25. “Only other time it happened was Warren Moon in a 31-21 loss to the Jets on Nov. 20, 1994.”
Only 14 other quarterbacks in NFL history have accomplished what Moon and, now, Mullens have, per Stathead.
Mullens is the first since Jameis Winston did it with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers versus the Carolina Panthers in Week 6 of the 2019 season. Teams are 4-12 in those games with former Viking Gus Frerotte the last to get a win, defeating the then-San Diego Chargers as a member of the Denver Broncos in Week 12 of the 2000 season.
