The Minnesota Vikings suffer a season-ending injury to Kirk Cousins and acquire Joshua Dobbs through a trade.
On Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback Kirk Cousins suffered an injury that ended his season. Two days after, the Vikings traded for quarterback Josh Dobbs from the Arizona Cardinals.
A medical cart quickly transports Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback Kirk Cousins to the locker room during a match against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. (Photo: Getty)
During the fourth quarter of a successful game against the Green Bay Packers in Week 8, Cousins suffered a torn Achilles injury. As a result, he will be undergoing surgery and will be unable to play for the rest of the season.
At the start of the season, Cousins had Mullens as his backup quarterback. However, Mullens is now on the injured reserve list due to a back injury. In his place, rookie Jaren Hall stepped in to replace Cousins during a game for the Vikings. Hall threw three passes for a total of 23 yards and was sacked once.
Hall played for BYU last season and his claim to fame was that he was teammates with Puka Nacua, a wide receiver and rookie sensation with the Los Angeles Rams. The Vikings selected Hall with a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Hall is predicted to begin in Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons. Dobbs is set to assume the role of starter in Week 10 against the New Orleans Saints.
Cousins suffers unfortunate loss
Cousins experiences a tough defeat.
As his contract with the Vikings approached its final year, all indications pointed towards Cousins departing as a free agent.
After New York Jets’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered an Achilles injury during the opening game, Cousins quickly became a target of trade speculations. As the Vikings faced a tough start to their season, the rumors only grew stronger.
Cousins put an end to any discussions about a potential trade a few weeks ago by declaring that he would not waive his no-trade clause and planned to stay with the Minnesota team for the rest of the season.
The head coach, Kevin O’Connell, expressed his disappointment that the player may not be able to continue improving in what could be his most successful season as a professional.
Cousins had a successful beginning to the current season, with a completion rate of 69.5% for 2,331 yards and 18 touchdowns. He only had five interceptions. Despite starting with a 1-4 record, the Vikings were able to win three consecutive games and reach a tie.
The Vikings have acquired Dobbs via trade before the deadline.
The Vikings currently hold a 4-4 record and their acquisition of Dobbs suggests that they are not willing to concede the season. As of now, if the season were to conclude, the Vikings would be eligible for a wild card spot in the NFC.
The Vikings have a record of 4-4 and are tied with the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints in the NFC, only five teams have a better record.
The Cardinals have suffered five consecutive losses and currently hold the last position in the NFC with a record of 1-7.
The Vikings have agreed to trade Dobbs to the Cardinals in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2024 draft. The pick could potentially become a sixth-rounder if Dobbs sees significant playing time for the rest of the season.
Dobbs has been traded for the second time this season. Initially, he was with the Cleveland Browns during the preseason, but was later traded to the Arizona Cardinals before the start of the season.
During Kyler Murray’s rehabilitation from a torn ACL and surgery, Dobbs took the starting position in eight games. It is possible that Murray will resume his starting role in Week 9 against the Cleveland Browns. However, if he is unable to play, rookie Clayton Tune will take the field on Sunday.
Dobbs had a pass completion rate of 62.8% and threw for 1,569 yards. He scored eight touchdowns and had five interceptions. Additionally, he ran for three touchdowns.
When Ryan Tannehill injured his ankle, Dobbs stepped in and played two games for the Tennessee Titans. Unfortunately, he was unable to secure a win in either game. Throughout his career, Dobbs has started 10 games and only won one of them.
Betting the 4-4 Vikings
The NFC North division currently has the Detroit Lions in the lead with a 6-2 record. The Minnesota Vikings follow in second place with a 2-0 record within the division. The Lions and Vikings have not faced each other yet, but will have two games against each other in the last three weeks of the season.
The Lions are heavily favored to win the NFC North with odds of -1200. The Vikings are ranked second with odds of +900 to retain their division title.
DraftKings has set the odds for the Vikings to make the playoffs at +260. Alternatively, there is a -360 option to bet on the Vikings not making it to the postseason.
Bookmakers originally set the Vikings’ projected number of wins for the season at 8.5, with the option to bet on whether they would have more or less wins. Currently, the Vikings’ projected wins are at 7.5, suggesting that the bookmakers do not believe they will make it to the playoffs.
The remaining schedule for the Vikings consists of nine games. Out of these, only three of their upcoming opponents have a winning record. Two opponents hold a 4-4 record, while the rest have a losing record, namely the Las Vegas Raiders, Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears, and Green Bay Packers.
The chances of the Vikings winning Super Bowl LVIII are slim, with odds of +15000. Last week, before Cousins’ injury, their odds were +6500. Currently, they have odds of +10000 to win the NFC Championship, which has also decreased greatly since Cousins’ injury.
The Minnesota Vikings have suffered the loss of Kirk Cousins for the rest of the season and have acquired Joshua Dobbs in a trade, according to reports from Casino.org.
