Nike needs to bring Joshua Dobbs jerseys to the Minnesota Vikings team store as quickly as possible. I might even make a purchase with the way he played in the first season of his long NFL career in which coaches Finally, intentionally threw him at quarterback. He spent most of this season saving RedZone’s late window by making the Arizona Cardinals entertaining in losses. He was rewarded for trying to keep that sinking ship afloat with a trade with the Vikings on deadline day, leading them to a game-winning touchdown Sunday in their Week 9 win over the Vikings. Atlanta Falcons. Did we mention he’s only been in town for less than a week?
Dobbs entered the game in the fourth quarter after rookie starter Jaren Hall was forced to leave the game and go through concussion protocol. Kirk Cousins suffered a season-ending Achilles injury last week, and veteran backup Nick Mullens was in his fourth week on injured reserve because of his back. After just a few days of practice, Dobbs threw more touchdowns in less than four full quarters of action than in any start for the Cardinals in a 31-28 victory.
He completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 158 yards and two scores. Dobbs also scored a touchdown in the third quarter that tied the game at 21-all. He rushed for 66 crucial yards that day, including a gutsy 22-yard run on 4th-and-7 to keep the Vikings’ final drive alive. The score that gave the Vikings the lead for good was a touchdown pass from Dobbs on 3rd and 4.
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Entering this season, Dobbs was a journeyman backup who had only started two games since being drafted by the Steelers in 2017. Those were the final two games of the 2022 season for the Tennessee Titans. Ryan Tannehill was injured – and had already been benched – and after being on the roster for a week and a half, they decided to replace Dobbs with then-rookie Malik Willis.
Kyler Murray tore an ACL late last season and the Cardinals traded for Dobbs two weeks before the start of the 2023 regular season. Although the Cardinals have only won one game in eight weeks, they played hard and kept many of these games close enough to watch, which is always appreciated in the late Sunday afternoon window. A 27-0 loss in Week 9 against Cleveland Browns without Dobbs, it was by far the Cardinals’ worst loss of the season. Their only win came in Week 3 against the Dallas Cowboys, and Dobbs then discovered that his jersey – that of the QB who led them to victory – was not yet in the team store. The Cards then moved quickly to remedy the problem.
Dobbs has played well, but not spectacularly this season. Entering Week 9, he averaged just 5.9 yards per attempt with a QBR of 46.6. However, combined with his 258 rushing yards and three touchdowns, he played well enough for the Cardinals front office to receive the best of both worlds. The team played competitive football, while losing enough games to remain in the race for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
His Week 9 performance against the Falcons wasn’t without its flaws either. He fumbled three times – losing two – and was also dropped for a safety on his first drive. Yet the rocket scientist (he has a degree in aerospace engineering and interned at NASA during the offseason) who also doubles as an NFL quarterback managed to keep a cool head throughout the initial chaos. Ultimately, the day ended with the Vikings shuttle landing in the Falcons end zone for a win and a 5-4 record.
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The Vikings may want to place an order ASAP for No. 15 jerseys. They made the decision to try to cling to their slim playoff hopes, and after a week, they managed to hold on, thanks in large part to a masterful final drive from Dobbs.
