Who is Joshua Dobbs, the Minnesota Vikings’ new quarterback?
If you’re a Minnesota Vikings fan who didn’t know who Joshua Dobbs was until Sunday, you’re not alone.
He had only joined the team a few days earlier after being traded by the Arizona Cardinals. It’s possible that some teammates didn’t even know him.
But after Sunday and an improbable performance against the Atlanta Falcons, Dobbsand#039; the name is engraved in the hallowed halls of Viking history. When rookie Jaren Hall, starting in relief of the injured Kirk Cousins, suffered a concussion in the first quarter, Dobbs was unceremoniously dumped under center.
Unlike Hall, it was not Dobbsand#039; first career start, but playing quarterback on team days after arriving stateside is a nightmarishly tall order for any QB. Vikings fans will well remember another quarterback named Josh who did the same thing in 2013. Josh Freeman, signed by the Vikings on October 6 of that year, went against the New York Giants just 10 days later. Freeman threw an insane 53 passes, just 20 for 190 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. The Vikings lost 23-7 and Freeman did not start another game for them.
Meanwhile, Dobbs led the Vikings to a 31-28 victory, completing 20 of 30 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns and 66 yards and a touchdown on the ground. It wasn’t all perfect — he fumbled three times and lost two of them — but he did enough to give the Vikings their fourth straight win and keep them alive in the playoffs.
So who is this Dobbs guy? Where did Dobbs go to college?
Dobbs played college football at the University of Tennessee. He played in 37 games over four seasons, starting his junior and senior seasons. During his college career, Dobbs had 7,138 passing yards, 53 touchdowns and 29 interceptions. He also had 2,160 yards and 32 TDs on the ground. He studied aerospace engineering at UT and worked with NASA after school.
Congrats to @josh_dobbs1 on his big win yesterday! You seem to rock on and off the field. We heard you even have a new nickname, andquot;Pastronaut.andquot; If the suit fits, wear it.
What was Dobbs elected for?
The Pittsburgh Steelers took Dobbs in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. At the time, Ben Roethlisberger was firmly entrenched as the Steelersand#039; starter
Dobbs was the seventh quarterback selected in that draft. Four of the six who preceded him are still in the league, although only two are still starters (Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson).
Was Dobbs a starting quarterback in the NFL before?
Dobbs was primarily a backup point guard, although he started 10 games in his seven-year career. His first starting experience came last season with the Tennessee Titans. The situation was similar to that of the Vikings – the Titans signed him from the Detroit Lionsand#039; practice squad on December 21st and he started for them on December 29th. Dobbs went 0-2 at Tennessee, completing 58.8% of his passes for 411 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. That season, Dobbs started for the Arizona Cardinalsand#039; the first eight games. He went 1-7 despite the Cardinals being among the worst teams in the league and competing for the top pick in the upcoming draft. His only win came against the Dallas Cowboys, 28-16. Dobbs completed 63.2% of his passes for 1,727 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions with the Cardinals.
Will Dobbs continue to start for the Vikings? With Cousinsexpected to miss the rest of the season and Hall dealing with a concussion, Dobbs is likely to start the second game regardless of his performance. But after leading the Vikings to victory – and seeing the reactions of the other Vikings – it’s hard for the Vikings to put the upset back in Halland’s hands, even if the head was cleared for a comeback. .
