Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens ended the first half of a Week 15 matchup against the Bengals in extremely wacky fashion.
Mullens, making his first start for Minnesota, steered the Vikings into field-goal range in the final minute of the second quarter. But he tried to do too much on a third-and-7.
Mullens was about to be sacked by Cincinnati defensive lineman B.J. Hill. At the last second, Mullens tried to throw the ball away but it bounced off Hill’s helmet, off Mullens’ backside and right into the defensive lineman’s lap again for an interception.
What?!
It was Mullens’s second interception of the game. He threw a pick on the Vikings’ previous drive at the 1-yard line, costing the team a chance at points.
Mullens threw for 155 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions on 12-of-16 passing in the first half, adding up to a 65.4 passer rating.
Jaren Hall is the Vikings’ backup quarterback in Cincinnati. Josh Dobbs, who started Minnesota’s last four games before being replaced by Mullens last week against the Raiders, is the team’s emergency third-string quarterback.