5 Plays That Defined Josh Dobbs’ Vikings Debut
The Minnesota Vikings went into Atlanta and pulled off an incredible upset by winning 31-28.
In the aftermath of the game, much of the discussion has surrounded Josh Dobbs’ Vikings debut that came just four days after he got to Minnesota following a trade from the Arizona Cardinals.
There were definitely a few bumps along the way to this win, but Dobbs had an incredible showing to lead the Vikings to their fourth straight win. Here is a look at 5 plays which defined the QB’s outing.
3rd and 11 Pass to Jordan Addison
The big moments from Dobbs largely came from his legs, but we have to give him credit for standing in the pocket and converting some crucial third downs through the air. This was an especially important one as it came at the end of the first half with Minnesota trying to cut into Atlanta’s 11-3 lead.
It would have been easy for Dobbs to panic after a tough start to his outing with a safety and strip sack, but instead, the veteran was cool and composed on this throw and delivered a much-needed strike to Addison, fitting it perfectly in between two Falcons defenders. A few plays later, Dobbs would throw a 2-yard TD to Alexander Mattison to give themselves a chance at the comeback. Take a look at the throw to Addison:
3rd and 10 Scramble
Dobbs wasn’t done making plays on this initial TD drive. After a strange trick play which saw Cam Akers run out of bounds for a 7-yard sack, the Vikings found themselves backed up and needing to get big yardage to keep their drive going.
On 3rd and 10, Atlanta sent tons of pressure towards Dobbs, and he managed to pull off one of the most insane runs of the year. He was backed up all the way to Atlanta’s 30-yard-line and seemed dead to rights. Then, he did this:
Shoutout to Cam Akers for an incredible block that made this run possible. Without the RB, Dobbs would have been tackled well short of the first down marker. One play later, Mattison was in the end zone to cut the deficit to 11-10 heading into the locker room.
18-Yard TD Run
After another fumble to begin the second half, Minnesota’s deficit fell to 21-13 midway through the third quarter. Then, Minnesota’s defense was able to come up with a turnover of their own after Akayleb Evans forced a fumble and placed the Vikings in Atlanta territory.
The Vikings needed to take advantage of this opportunity, and Dobbs again came through with an 18-yard TD run that set up an opportunity to tie the game. Dobbs again faced pressure but remained cool in the pocket, stepped up, delivered a pump fake, and took off for his scoring run.
Dobbs immediately followed that emotional run up by throwing a strike to Trishton Jackson, tying the game and officially putting Minnesota back in the game heading into the fourth quarter.
4th and 7 Scramble
With the game on the line, the Vikings needed Dobbs to come through on 4th and 7 to keep their hopes of winning alive. Even after some mind-bending runs throughout the day, this one may be the most impressive one of the day. It seemed like he was going to be sacked two or three times on this play, but Dobbs’ will to get the first down was bigger than any of the 11 Falcons on the field.
Even if he wasn’t going to get sacked, Dobbs still had to avoid tackles from two separate Falcons in order to actually keep this play alive. He did just that and more on this run.
Game-Winning TD to Brandon Powell
And then, there’s the pièce de résistance. Everything Dobbs had done to this point in the game would have been for naught if Minnesota could not actually complete the comeback. The QB came through once again, though. On 3rd and 4, Dobbs delivered one last perfect pass and hit Brandon Powell just as he crossed the goal line. Had it not been right on the money, Powell could have been just short with the clock ticking down under 20 seconds. Minnesota needed the throw, and Dobbs delivered.
Making this throw even crazier is the fact that Dobbs said during his postgame press conference that it was the first time he had ever repped this particular play. An improbable debut gets even more impressive, and now, the Vikings are in firm control of the No. 7 seed in the NFC because of it.
NFC North Round-Up: Vikings Win 4th Straight, Packers Get Back on Track, Bears Fall Again
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.