Nov 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs (15) on the sideline against the Atlanta Falcons in the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports.
New Minnesota Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs will make his 11th career start — his first game with the Vikings wasn’t technically a “start” — this Sunday versus the New Orleans Saints at U.S. Bank Stadium.
He’ll have a full week of preparation, unlike last week when Dobbs didn’t know his teammates’ identities or the full heft of the playbook.
And to be ready, Dobbs will have a familiar and amicable ally in his corner — Kirk Cousins.
No longer QB1 but Mentor1, Cousins is available to aid Dobbs in any way necessary. ESPN’s Kevin Seifert tweeted Wednesday, “Josh Dobbs said he has spoken with Kirk Cousins, who he said has been at the Vikings’ practice facility. They have the same agent, and Cousins offered Dobbs whatever help he might want.”
Vintage Cousins indeed, Dobbs can use the 35-year-old as a sounding board or strategic partner while the squad hopes to extend its winning streak to five games. On October 8th, the Vikings lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, Justin Jefferson hit injured reserve for 4-6 games, and then the purple team decided that moment it was time to start stacking wins.
Dobbs said about his limited preparation before his Vikings debut last weekend, ‘It’s like if you were taking Spanish all year and you showed up and Wednesday somebody told you — you’re taking AP Spanish — and somebody told you you’ve got an AP French exam on Sunday. Someone’s going to talk to you in Spanish and translate it to the French, so that’s kind of what was going on out there.”
In that vein — learning a new language — Cousins can be the ultimate teacher, granting Dobbs knowledge of a playbook he knows like a family recipe. No one prepared for games more than Cousins, highlighted in last summer’s Quarterback documentary series on Netflix.
Meanwhile, Dobbs is a rocket scientist — no exaggeration — and interned at NASA in 2020. Therefore, the Vikings have a studious injured quarterback preaching the ins and outs of his playbook to an interstellar receptacle in Dobbs. It doesn’t get much more ideal, given the situation.
The Saints will provide a daunting test, though. Atlanta’s defense heading into Week 9 was decent, especially against the run, but New Orleans and its secondary are different animals. Dennis Allen’s defense ranks ninth leaguewide per pass defense DVOA, so Dobbs can’t reasonably expect to sling it with ease. Too, the Vikings have uncertain injury statuses for Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson, and K.J. Osborn this week. With or without that trio, or showcasing parts, the Saints secondary is no joke.
Cousins, however, has vast experience against the Saints. He’s helped the Vikings topple New Orleans twice on his watch in Minnesota, once last year in London and in the 2019 playoffs.
The Vikings are 2.5-point home underdogs against Derek Carr and friends.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.