Credit the extraordinary hands of Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle BJ Hill for somehow squeezing this ball, but Minnesota Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens decided to try to throw the ball right before his bottom hit the turf. That’s ill-advised in the first place.
B.J. Hill makes one of the wildest big man INTs of the season!
📺: MINvsCIN on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/vtmfEKvOLy pic.twitter.com/qLCtwmwtQP— NFL (@NFL) December 16, 2023
What’s worse is, Mullens tried to make the argument afterwards that his arm was coming forward, so that he wouldn’t be tagged with a lost fumble. Little did he know at the time that Hill never let the ball hit the ground. LOL.
Somehow, Mullens still got the graphic treatment for Minnesota leading at halftime in spite of throwing not one, but two INTs in or very near the red zone:
HALFTIME: @Vikings lead 7-3.
📺: #MINvsCIN on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/vtmfEKvOLy pic.twitter.com/2lkZF0T6p7— NFL (@NFL) December 16, 2023
I guess somebody had to get gassed up. I’d have given a shout out to somebody on the Vikings defense coordinated by Tua Tagovailoa confidence-killing Brian Flores. They’ve been a stout unit of late. Alas.
The only reason the Vikings are winning, if we’re being honest, is because Bengals wideout Charlie Jones stopped running full-speed on a 3rd and 15 deep pass by Jake Browning that would’ve been a jog-in touchdown. Tee Higgins also just barely dropped a semi-Hail Mary from. Browning right before half that’d have set up an Evan McPherson field goal to cut the deficit to 7-6.
But really, have you ever seen somebody throw an interception right into a massive d-lineman’s facemask?? That’s absurdly awful. Poor Joshua Dobbs, who we love around these parts, got sent to the bench just for Mullens to sh*t the bed. The Passtronaut deserved better, according to Hall of Fame QB Kurt Warner, who may know a thing or two about backups getting the opportunity to start and running with it.
Just watched @Vikings tape & I feel for @josh_dobbs1 being benched… so important to watch each play & not just see the results… I feel he played well, dropped passes all over, some things didn’t work & of coursed missed some, but far from a “benching” performance IMO!
— Kurt Warner (@kurt13warner) December 13, 2023
Now watch he’ll throw for a bazillion yards in the second half and cook my beloved Bengals out of the AFC playoff picture. LIterally as I write this, Mullens just threw a TD. Hahahaha.
Regardless of what happens going forward, though, I’m glad Kevin O’Connell turned to Mullens over Dobbs. We wouldn’t have gotten this hilarious INT otherwise.
Kind of obligatory at this point to supply you with folks the best media making fun of Mullens’ pick.
Mark Sanchez had the butt fumble. Nick Mullens saw that and raised him a butt pick. pic.twitter.com/AdqRT5uBRe
— Anthony F. Irwin (@AnthonyIrwinLA) December 16, 2023
What I see every time Nick Mullens drops back to pass pic.twitter.com/KdjcUpgV6Q
— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) December 16, 2023
Nick Mullens as soon as the Vikings enter the redzone pic.twitter.com/FFBqxvBfCa
— GhettoGronk (@TheGhettoGronk) December 16, 2023
Nick Mullens dropping back to pass pic.twitter.com/6ewdWQRH7F
— FanDuel (@FanDuel) December 16, 2023
“you CoUlD PuT nIcK mUlLeNs In ThE 49ers OfFeNsE aNd He cOuLd Do WhAt PuRdY iS DoInG” https://t.co/ZJdUUo28Pk
— Pizza with little pizzas as toppings (@StickToPizza) December 16, 2023
Nick Mullens had 30 combined INTs/Fumbles in 16 starts for the 49ers. The opposite of a game manger.
— Gregg Rosenthal (@greggrosenthal) December 16, 2023
No joke, that INT by Nick Mullens is the funniest INT I've ever seen in my life
— Arjun Menon (@arjunmenon100) December 16, 2023
Nick Mullens in the red zone pic.twitter.com/0uyi785Pz1
— Mitch Moss (@MitchMossRadio) December 16, 2023
