Football
Related: About this forumJosh Dobbs: aerospace engineer, career backup and ice-cold winner
Youd need to be a genius to learn a new NFL offense and its dozens of plays in five days. Luckily, Joshua Dobbs is. The quarterbacks academic exploits are the stuff of legend and internet memedom. He graduated from the University of Tennessee with a perfect grade-point average and a degree in aerospace engineering, and instead of going on to a career in rocket science which hed have been plenty qualified for he settled into a different life: that of the journeyman backup. Dobbs has been around the league since 2017, when the Pittsburgh Steelers made him a fourth-round pick. But the last few weeks have turned out to be his big breakthrough.
Dobbs started the year with his seventh franchise in seven seasons of pro ball: the Arizona Cardinals, who are playing for little more than an early draft pick next spring. So when the Minnesota Vikings lost starter Kirk Cousins for the year with a torn achilles last week, they chatted with Arizona and swung a deal for Dobbs. That was Tuesday. On Sunday, Dobbs wasnt expecting to play but he was summoned from the bench when Jaren Hall was injured in the first quarter. He duly delivered a masterclass in being a quick study: Dobbs completed 20 of 30 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns, and despite coughing up a few fumbles to the Atlanta Falcons, he brought the Vikings back from the abyss.
He conducted a dramatic 11-play, 75-yard drive in the final two minutes to flip the result in the home teams favor. The key plays were a 22-yard Dobbs scramble on fourth down-and-seven and a six-yard touchdown strike to Brandon Powell on third down with 27 seconds to go as they trailed by four.
Final score: Vikings 31-28 Falcons. Minnesota have a 5-4 record that has them still playing meaningful football after an 0-3 start to September and Cousins injury in October. Dobbs hadnt taken a single throw in practice with his receivers before Sundays game and admitted he didnt even know most of their names. This in a league where hours and hours of practice with your teammates is crucial for your chances of success. What he was able to do in really five days time was as impressive as Ive seen a quarterback be able to do, said Kevin OConnell, the Vikings head coach.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/nov/06/joshua-dobbs-minnesota-vikings-quarterback-atlanta-falcons-nfl
That's my boy! I've loved him ever since he was at Tennessee. Big brain, big heart.
Diamond_Dog
(34,504 posts)MN2theMax
(1,701 posts)Dobbs really found his stride as the game progressed. Skol!