Can Josh Dobbs Lead The Minnesota Vikings To The Playoffs?
Who is this Rocket Scientist?
The Rocket scientist degree quarterback during his college career at the University of Tennessee, where he demonstrated exceptional athleticism and a strong work ethic. Dobbs later entered the NFL when he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Beyond his football prowess, he’s also recognized for his academic achievements, having earned a degree in aerospace engineering while in college. This unique combination of athletic skill and academic excellence has made Josh Dobbs a well-respected figure in the world of sports and beyond, known for his dedication to both his sport and his studies. The past few years after being a mainstay young project for the Steelers, he bounced around the league player for other teams like the Jaguars, Browns, Titans, and now the Minnesota Vikings. Dobbs has experience learning an abundance of different offenses and schemes and adjusting to new places on the fly, so this new role for him on the Vikings is nothing new to him.
Dobbs saves the season against the Falcons
On Tuesday of Last week Josh Dobbs arrived in Minnesota through trade from the Arizona Cardinals on the day of the Deadline on Halloween. The Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah decided to pull the trigger on trading for Dobbs after the longtime star franchise quarterback went down with a season ending torn achillies injury. With the initial backup quarterback Nick Mullens on injured reserve the Vikings were down to one quarterback on the roster, 5th round rookie from BYU Jaren Hall. To put it lightly the Vikings were in desperate need of a quarterback for the rest of the season and in Kwesi’s eyes Dobbs was the guy. The Vikings sent a 2024 sixth-round pick to the Cardinals in exchange for Dobbs and a conditional 2024 seventh-round pick. The Vikings are currently in a “Competitive Rebuild”, which means that the Vikings are objectively trying to improve their roster and get younger assets while not tanking and staying competitive week to week, which is much more difficult than stripping it all down and tanking for a year or two for a top pick. Fast forward to Sunday the prepared starter against the Falcon’s was late round rookie from BYU Jaren Hall. Hall briefly before being knocked out at the end of the first quarter looked in my opinion pretty decent. But after driving the Vikings down to the redzone, on 3rd down Jaren hall made an effort to rush for a touchdown and got knocked out with a concussion. Then in comes Josh Dobbs, a guy who flew in to Minnesota and has barely had any time to get a grasp for the offense yet and hadn’t even had reps in practice to get snaps from the center and throw to receivers he hadn’t even known the name of yet. Who as expected had a rough start with a safety and then a drive later turning the ball over with a fumble. However then turned the game around by using his mobility and off schedule playmaking ability that prior starter Kirk Cousins could not do. During the game plays were being translated to him by Kevin O’Connell and other players mid play as the play clock winds down. His aerospace engineering genius background definitely helps when attempting an almost impossible task like this. Dobbs later said, “Its like studying for AP Spanish all year and showing up on Wednesday and being told your’e taking an AP French exam on Sunday.” Head Coach Kevin O’Connell said that it was one of the most remarkable things he has ever seen in his career.
So What Does The Rest Of Season Outlook Look Like?
Due to injuries, it looks like Dobbs has the green light to start for the foreseeable future and the team has an unrelenting belief in Dobb’s capability. The team reacted to him in such a way that I could see sparking an inspiration in the team. The vikings face a next few games with sub .500 opponents which could lead to a run, not to mention Superstar receiver eligible to come back from IR against the Saints. I think the Vikings could make a Playoff wild card push and shock a lot of people who may not believe in Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings yet. This great organization never fails to amaze me with the resilience that they show in the face of adversity. A 10-7 wild card record could be well within range for this 5-4 team and is my current prediction for the Minnesota Vikings. Lets continue to see how the O’Connell lead Vikings, with playmakers like Jefferson, Addison, & Hockenson, a fresh and inspired Brian Flores lead defense and the new comer Dobbs roll for the rest of the season.
