The Vikings were at a crossroads Sunday, as their quarterback Jaren Hall was concussed. So they decided to trade Hall for the emergency quarterback Josh Dobb.
According to Arizona Cardinals, Dobbs didn’t throw a single practice pass to any of the Vikings receivers during practice week. Josh also said he didn’t know most of the team member’s names, which goes to show how much of an odd situation he was put into. As the pressure was high for Josh Dobbs, he didn’t disappoint. He was the one who led the Vikings to the win against the Atlanta Falcons with the scores of 31-28 as a result of trading him into the game after Jaren’s concussion, which occurred early into the match.
The Vikings were able to obtain Josh Dobbs at the Arizona Cardinals during the trade deadline. The Vikings later found it to be one of their best choices because, as they put Josh into the game during the first quarter, he went 20-for-20 with 158 yards and managed to get not one but two touchdowns.
Head coach of the Vikings Kevin O’Connell stated, “Josh Dobb was able to do something that only a few can do and what he did in that game was something very special and I’m proud to be his coach.” Josh had lost two fumbles, but that didn’t put him down at all. With two days to learn the Vikings’ offense, he was pushing through the linebackers and cornerbacks with ease.
More on Josh Dobbs
Jaren’s injury allowed Josh to be in the spotlight. Josh Dobbs stated, “There is a zero excuse for someone’s circumstance, which is something that I learned from Coach Mike Tomlin. Because people don’t care about what situation you’re in, they want to see you win in that situation.”
Why it’s an Amazing Situation
Even the Vikings weren’t expecting Josh to pick up on the new offense as quickly as he did. However, they were hoping he would learn the new system fast. Additionally, Josh was the only one who could fill in for Jaren, which only added more pressure on Dobb.
Furthermore, this isn’t the first time Josh Dobbs has made these game-changing plays. Another time he did this was in 2022 when he played his first game with the Tennessee Titans. He played that match only about a week after he signed the contract to play with them.
Sadly, Josh won’t gain any type of official credit inside record books for that win due to Jaren Hall being the one who started the game. However, Josh won’t be forgotten any time soon, and neither will fans. “It felt like taking a Spanish class and becoming decent at it then all of sudden you get switched to French,” he said.
By Samuel Cruz
Sources:
ESPN: Josh Dobbs replaces injured Jaren Hall, leads Vikings’ comeback win
The Athletic: Josh Dobbs leads Vikings to win over Falcons amid QB shuffles: How impressive was he?
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Ben Sutherland Flickr Page–Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Donielle Flickr Page–Creative Commons License
