Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens had a mixed first half Saturday afternoon, but his big blunder might end up being on season-end highlight reels for all the wrong reasons.
The seventh-year quarterback earned his first start of the season for Minnesota after filling in for Joshua Dobbs last week in the Vikings' 3-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
The 28-year-old began Saturday's matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals well when he helped drive Minnesota down the field to set up a Ty Chandler one-yard touchdown on the first drive of the game.
However, the matchup between Mullens and Jake Browning was as advertised with two straight three-and-outs on the following drives in the first half.
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Minnesota had the ball with 1:37 left in the first half with an opportunity to score and build its 7-3 lead. On third-and-7, Mullens was pressured in the pocket and was going to be sacked by B.J. Hill. The quarterback inexplicably threw the ball right at the Bengals defensive lineman, and Hill managed to secure the ball after initially bobbling it. It was Hill's second straight game with an interception.
It was a hilariously bad play from Mullens and arguably is the worst interception of the season and could go down as one of the worst in NFL history.
Mullens followed it up on the first drive of the second half when his throw off his back foot managed to find Jordan Addison, who ran it in for a 37-yard touchdown to give Minnesota a 14-3 lead. The Vikings were up 17-10 after the Bengals scored a touchdown to start the fourth quarter.
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Featured image via Katie Stratman//USA TODAY Sports Images