Joshua Dobbs has now led the Minnesota Vikings to back-to-back improbable wins after fueling their 27-19 win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
Can Dobbs lead the Vikings to the postseason?
Joshua Dobbs Dazzles Again
Dobbs delivered another standout performance Sunday to lead Minnesota past New Orleans.
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The veteran quarterback completed 23 of 34 pass attempts for 268 yards and one touchdown, adding eight carries for a team-high 44 yards and one more score. He helped the Vikings build up a 27-3 lead early in the third quarter, one they held the rest of the way in fending off the Saints’ comeback bid.
The performance comes a week after Dobbs led Minnesota to a come-from-behind win over the Atlanta Falcons in his first action with the franchise.
Dobbs, who had been acquired by the team just days prior in a trade deadline deal with the Arizona Cardinals, did not even know the playbook yet but relieved rookie Jaren Hall after the Vikings’ slow start to the game.
He ultimately went 20 of 30 for 158 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 76 yards and one more score, tossing the game-winning score with just 22 seconds left in the game.
Dobbs had to be shown the way to the Vikings’ locker room on Sunday but did his work early on the field as Minnesota scored 17 unanswered points across the second and third quarters to break the game open for good.
Josh Dobbs didn't even know where the Vikings locker room was 😂
(via @NFLonFOX)pic.twitter.com/navfLvbP3x
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) November 12, 2023
Can Dobbs Lead Minnesota to the Playoffs?
Dobbs has now guided the Vikings to back-to-back wins and perhaps resurrected the franchise’s playoff hopes amid a now five-game win streak.
It’s a stretch made all the more impressive by the fact that Minnesota has played three different quarterbacks across that span. Kirk Cousins went down with a season-ending injury in a 24-10 win over the Green Bay Packers two weeks ago and was relieved by Hall with the game already all but decided.
Hall then was unable to accomplish much last week against the Falcons, so the Vikings turned to Dobbs despite his lack of knowledge of the scheme, and he piloted them to victory.
Having rattled off five consecutive wins, Minnesota (6-4) now sits one game back of the Detroit Lions (6-2) for the NFC North lead before the Lions’ game Sunday against the Chargers. The Vikings have two remaining games against Detroit and face the struggling Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears in the next two weeks.
Given that schedule, it’s not inconceivable that the Vikings could catch the Lions in the divisional race or at least work their way into one of the NFC’s three Wild Card spots. Minnesota will be no worse than seventh in the conference after Sunday’s contests and has looked like a better team of late than squads below it, such as the Washington Commanders and Atlanta Falcons.
It’s tough to count Minnesota out of the playoff race with Dobbs making magic at the helm.
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