Joshua Dobbs earned his second victory in the 2023 NFL season after leading the Minnesota Vikings to a come-from-behind win over the Atlanta Falcons. The recently traded quarterback completed 20 passes for 158 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. He added 66 rushing yards and a touchdown on seven carries.
While those numbers seem pedestrian, what made the triumph arguably the most impressive among all Week 9 games is Dobbs’ limited knowledge about Minnesota’s offense. ESPN beat writer for the Vikings, Kevin Seifert, wrote that Dobbs didn’t throw a single pass to Vikings receivers during practice. He also didn’t receive practice snaps from center Garrett Bradbury.
He hasn’t fully grasped Kevin O’Connell’s playbook and didn’t even know the full names of most of his teammates. However, the seven-year NFL veteran didn’t use those excuses to play poorly when his number was called. His entrance into the game was unplanned after rookie Jaren Hall suffered a concussion in the first quarter.
Josh Dobbs didn't know most of his Vikings teammates' full names. He had never taken a snap from their center. They had never heard his cadence. None of their receivers had caught a practice pass from him. On the most unusual of games from Atlanta:https://t.co/0f5DM2ksht
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) November 6, 2023
Dobbs might not know much about the Vikings after the Arizona Cardinals traded him and a 2024 seventh-round pick for a 2024 sixth-rounder. But he does know how to play football, and he showed it in this emphatic road victory.
The former University of Tennessee standout completed his masterpiece with a six-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Powell, giving Minnesota the lead and the game 31-28. It was his first win since Week 3, when he led the Cardinals to an upset over the Dallas Cowboys.
Dobbs was unfazed in playing at Mercedes-Benz Stadium because Georgia is his home state. He was born in Alpharetta, a half-hour away from Atlanta, and played for the local high school. More importantly, he extended the Vikings’ current win streak to four in his homecoming game.
Through nine games this season, Dobbs has completed 63.2 percent of his passes (187 out of 296) for 1,727 yards, ten touchdowns, and five interceptions. He also has 54 carries for 324 yards and four rushing scores.
Depending on Hall’s progression through the concussion protocol, Dobbs might be the only healthy quarterback for the Vikings in Week 10 against the New Orleans Saints. Kirk Cousins is out for the season with an Achilles injury, while Nick Mullens is on injured reserve due to a back injury.
Every game counts for the Vikings moving forward because they are in the hunt for a spot in the NFC Playoffs. Through Week 9, they are holding the seventh and last postseason spot in the conference. A win over New Orleans puts them higher in the standings. For that to happen, having Dobbs learn more about the Vikings offense and his teammates’ names helps.
-Lance Fernandez