Joshua Dobbs, just six days ago, found himself on the bench with the Arizona Cardinals. Fast forward to Sunday, and he played a pivotal role in the Minnesota Vikings securing their fourth consecutive win.
The journeyman quarterback revealed that he hadn”t taken any reps with the Vikings” first-team offense during practice before leading Minnesota to a stunning 31-28 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9, as reported by ESPN”s Kevin Seifert.
The Vikings initially started rookie Jaren Hall against the Falcons after losing starter Kirk Cousins to an Achilles injury last week. However, Hall”s game was cut short when he suffered a concussion in the first quarter, thrusting Dobbs into action just days after his trade from the Cardinals to Minnesota.
Dobbs candidly confessed that he barely knew the full names of most of his new teammates. To navigate this unfamiliar territory, Minnesota head coach Kevin O”Connell effectively acted as an interpreter, translating offensive calls and sketching out plays during huddles against Atlanta, as shared by Alec Lewis of The Athletic.Dobbs humorously said, “It”s like if you were taking AP Spanish all year, you showed up on Wednesday and someone told you you have an AP French exam on Sunday. That”s what was going on out there,” reflecting on the challenges of in-game communication with O”Connell, according to Jeff Wald of Fox 9.
One thing”s for certain—after his standout performance on Sunday, Dobbs has made sure his new teammates all know his name.
The seasoned quarterback delivered a remarkable performance against the Falcons, completing 20 of 30 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns. He also contributed on the ground, rushing seven times for 60 yards and another touchdown. Despite the absence of key players like Justin Jefferson and Kirk Cousins, Dobbs steered the Vikings to a 5-4 season record.
As Dobbs himself put it, “In this league, there is never an excuse for your circumstance. I learned that from [Mike Tomlin]. Usually people don”t care about your circumstance. They just want to see you succeed given the circumstances you”ve been given.”