Prior to Sunday, only two NFL quarterbacks had ever thrown a touchdown for a team one week, only to throw another touchdown for another team the next week. But Joshua Dobbs became the third NFL QB to do so in the Minnesota Vikings’ 31-28 win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9. Yet, Dobbs wasn’t even supposed to start or play this week. But he was active, with the Vikings having no other option aside from promoting Sean Mannion from the practice squad, but he hasn’t thrown an NFL pass since Jan. 2, 2022.
The plan was to start Jaren Hall since he’s been with the Vikings since the moment he was drafted back in April as the 164th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. As bright as Dobbs is, Hall knows Kevin O’Connell’s offense much better than the QB who aspires to be an astronaut once his NFL career is finished.
Hall’s first NFL start was going well. The 25-year-old rookie out of BYU completed 5-of-6 passes for 78 yards, leading a scoring drive on the Vikings’ second possession of the day. Yet, on his 12th snap of the day, Hall’s day was done after the rookie tried scrambling for a first down on 3rd-and-goal from the 4-yard-line.
Next man up. Enter Joshua Dobbs, who the Vikings felt compelled to trade for following Kirk Cousins’ season-ending Achilles injury. With Cousins injured last Sunday, Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah already had a trade struck with the Arizona Cardinals for Dobbs by Tuesday. The agreement sent the Cardinals a sixth-round pick in exchange for Dobbs, plus a seventh-round pick.
Whatever the cost may be, it didn’t matter on Sunday. When the Vikings needed a QB, they didn’t have a choice but to turn to the newly acquired Dobbs, who couldn’t have learned the full playbook in the four or five days since he arrived. Not to mention building chemistry with his center or establishing a strong connection with his receivers. Not in less than a week.
Yet, when Dobbs was called to action, he didn’t flinch. While he was far from perfect, such as taking a safety or losing two fumbles, he played with a short memory and never gave up on a play. There was no better example than on 4th-and-7 with 50 seconds left as the Vikings trailed 28-24.
Dobbs came in off the bench, completed 20-of-30 passes for 158 yards, two touchdowns, and led the team in rushing with 66 yards and a touchdown. The numbers don’t jump off the page, but aside from the fumbles, Dobbs limited mistakes and continued to improve his team’s chances to win right up until he actually did win the game.
Yeah, he earned a game ball for that one. It’s a win Dobbs will never forget, especially after going 0-2 with the Tennessee Titans in 2022 and leading a Cardinals team expected to compete for the No. 1 pick to a 1-7 record.
With Hall needing to clear concussion protocol before returning to play, it’s possible Dobbs is back in the lineup against the New Orleans Saints next Sunday too. After the performance he just had, a Vikings team suddenly firmly in the playoff picture likely feels a lot more confident in their chances to compete.
Related: Can the Minnesota Vikings still make the playoffs? See Sportsnaut’s NFL playoff predictions