Vikings HC Explains Why Josh Dobbs Was the Pick at Trade Deadline
Is five days with a new team long enough to acclimate to an NFL offense and win a game on the road?
Why, yes. Yes, it is.
Vikings HC Explains Why Josh Dobbs Was the Pick at Trade Deadline
If your name is Josh Dobbs and you are a rocket scientist, all things are possible evidently. Dobbs led Minnesota to a 31-28 win on Sunday over the then-division-leading Atlanta Falcons, courtesy of outstanding mobility, brute-force intelligence, and a clutch factor that wowed onlookers.
Dobbs posted 158 passing yards on 20 for 30 completions versus attempts, 66 rushing yards, 3 total touchdowns, a couple of fumbles, and a safety. His afternoon absolutely was not flawless, but it didn’t need to be against an opponent like the Falcons, a totally middle-of-the-road organization.
And Dobbs arrived in Minnesota on Halloween at the NFL’s trade deadline, afforded just five days to learn the ins and outs of the Vikings system — which was apparently more than enough time to do the trick. He was shipped from the Arizona Cardinals to the Vikings along with a 7th-Round draft pick for a 6th-Rounder to the desert.
After the Vikings win, head coach Kevin O’Connell explained the trade to SI.com’s Albert Breer, “I didn’t know he’d be available, and then the Cardinals made that move, and I was like, This is a guy.”
Arizona benched Dobbs a week ago in favor of Clayton Tune, who struggled mightily on Sunday.
“I just wanted to see him around this team in this locker room, be able to coach him, be able to call plays for him and see if we can potentially put him in a great situation and then let him just go play,” O’Connell continued.
Because of Dobbs’ theatrics, plus the Vikings defense righting the ship in the last five weeks, Minnesota owns a 70.1% playoff probability after Week 9, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI).
O’Connell concluded with Breer, “I would say you need to have composure; you need to be intelligent. And beyond all that, I mean I was talking to him a lot, to be able to digest the information that I’m giving to him in real time, and be able to function and still go play quarterback, some of the plays he made, some of the throws he made means doing it all for the first time in an NFL game, on the road against a really good defense. That’s the reason why Josh was one of those guys that I immediately. It hit my brain to get him.”
Now, Vikings fans wait to see if Dobbs will get the QB1 nod in Week 10. The Vikings return home for a date with the New Orleans Saints, and depending on Jaren Hall’s injury, Dobbs or Hall could be nominated for the gig.
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.
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