The Minnesota Vikings quarterback situation went from great, to questionable, to hopeful all in less than a week’s time. The roller-coaster started when their durable starting quarterback Kirk Cousins suffered a torn right Achilles Tendon against the Green Bay Packers. One day after the game, he was officially declared out for the season.

That means that rookie fifth-round draft pick Jaren Hall would start the next game at quarterback for Minnesota. Well-traveled Sean Mannion was activated from the practice squad for added insurance. It was also hoped that veteran Nick Mullens would soon be available as he returns from a back injury.

Vikings Pick Up Joshua Dobbs

To help solidify the position, Vikings’ general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah sent a 2024 sixth-round draft choice to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for quarterback Joshua Dobbs. Dobbs had been the Cardinals starter all season but had recently been benched in favor of rookie Clayton Tune.

Also, the Cardinals’ star quarterback Kyler Murray was a week or two away from being activated from the injured list. The Vikings also received a contingent 2024 seventh-round pick in the Dobbs trade.

Even though Dobbs had been the starter for the Cardinals, he had been a journeyman quarterback who was now about to play for his fifth NFL team in seven seasons. Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell announced that Hall would be the starter for the Week 9 game against the Atlanta Falcons. Dobbs would be the backup for the game and then O’Connell would evaluate the situation after the contest.

Disaster at the Beginning of the Game

The game started and Mr. Hall was more than holding his own. In their first two series, he completed five of six passes for 78 yards. He also led the Vikings down the field for a drive that would culminate with a 19-yard field goal by Greg Joseph.

But then, disaster struck the Minnesota Vikings. On the play before the field goal, Hall would take a blow to the head which would force him to leave the game. Dobbs was then tapped to be the Minnesota quarterback for the rest of the game.

Dobbs faced several obstacles as he entered the game versus the Falcons. One, he had just arrived in Minnesota five days before. Two, he was being asked to run an offense whose playbook he was unfamiliar with. And three, he had not taken even one snap with the first-team Vikings offense since he arrived.

And it showed on Minnesota’s first two possessions. On the third play of his Vikings career, he was tackled in the end zone by the Falcon’s Calais Campbell. This resulted in an Atlanta safety. But things would get worse before they got better.

Another Vikings Turnover

NFL: Minnesota Vikings at Atlanta Falcons

Vikings RB Alexander Mattison (2) against the Atlanta Falcons – Dale Zanine/USA TODAY Sports

On the Vikings next possession, Atlanta’s Arnold Ebiketie would strip sack Dobbs at the Vikings 22-yard line. The ball was recovered by the Falcons Lorenzo Carter. Then five plays later, Younghoe Koo would come in and kick his third field goal of the game to give Atlanta an 11-3 lead. But Dobbs was about to show the Vikings’ fans that he had some game after all.

He would lead the Vikings on a 15 play, 60-yard drive that seemed to inspire his entire team. Key plays on the drive were two third down receptions by wide receivers K.J. Osborn and Jordan Addison. Also, on third and eight at the Vikings 13-yard line, Dobbs ran for 11 yards which would move the ball down to the Vikings two.

Two plays later Dobbs would toss a two-yard touchdown pass to Alexander Mattison to cut the Falcons lead to one. And that is how the half ended.

Tough Third Quarter Start

Unfortunately, the third quarter started inauspiciously for the Vikings. On the fourth play of the half, Dobbs was strip sacked by the Falcons’ David Onyemata. The ball was recovered by Kentavius Street at the Minnesota 30-yard line. Four plays later, Koo would nail a 54 yarder to extend Atlanta’s lead to four.

Dobbs would use his legs and his arm in an effort to cut into the Atlanta lead. With a 29-yard reception by tight end T.J. Hockenson and a 13-yard scramble of his own, the Vikings started to move the ball down the field. Some hard runs by running back Cam Akers also contributed to the drive.

The Vikings momentum stalled at the Falcons 14-yard line and Greg Joseph was brought in to kick a 32-yard field goal. He converted the kick and Minnesota had shaved Atlanta’s lead to one point.

Atlanta Seizes an Opportunity

But Atlanta capitalized on a Minnesota defensive miscue to score their first touchdown of the game. On first and 15 from the Atlanta 40-yard line, Atlanta quarterback Taylor Heinicke threw a short pass to the right to tight end Jonnu Smith. But the Vikings were caught in a safety blitz and Smith simply outran the Vikings defenders to the end zone for a 60-yard touchdown reception.

Minnesota would use a sterling defensive play of their own to set up their next score. Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson would be tackled by Byron Murphy after a 14-yard gain. The ball would pop out and the Vikings Josh Metellus would recover it at the Falcons’ 40-yard line.

Dobbs Runs One In

NFL: Minnesota Vikings at Atlanta Falcons

Vikings QB Josh Dobbs (15) – Brett Davis/USA TODAY Sports

Seven plays later, Dobbs, unable to find an open receiver would scramble down the right side of the field all of the way to the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown run. That score would tie the game at 21 apiece and there were more fireworks to come.

Atlanta got the ball back, and on first down, Heinicke would throw a ball that was intercepted by the Vikings Byron Murphy at the Falcons’ 42-yard line. He returned the ball to the Atlanta 24-yard line and Minnesota was in excellent field position to strike again.

The Minnesota drive was halted at the Atlanta 13-yard line, so Greg Joseph entered the game and kicked a 31-yard field goal. The Vikings led 24-21 early in the fourth quarter.

Atlanta Comes Back

The two teams would exchange punts and Atlanta would strike blood next. The Falcons would finish a 15 play, 84-yard drive with a Tyler Allgeier run off left tackle to regain the lead. Vikings fans were wondering, did Josh Dobbs and his team have one more comeback left in them today?

Fortunately, the answer was an emphatic yes. With a little over two minutes left in the game, the Vikings needed to go 75 yards to score the winning touchdown. So, they deftly mixed the pass and the run to move down the field. A 24-yard reception by Jordan Addison and a 22-yard scramble by Dobbs were the key plays of the drive.

The Vikings Prevail

All of this led to a third down for Minnesota at the Falcons six-yard line. From there, Dobbs would hit Brandon Powell in the end zone for a touchdown to put a cap on an improbable 31-28 win by the Vikings.

So, let’s review Joshua Dobbs’ incredible week. On Sunday, he was benched by his former team in favor of rookie Clayton Tune. Two days later, he was traded to the Minnesota Vikings. On the following Sunday, he was pressed into action without running a single play with his team’s first team offense.

After some early struggles, he took over the game and led the Vikings to a dramatic win. The next day, it was announced that he would be the starting quarterback for the team in their upcoming game against the New Orleans Saints. Then the very next day, he was chosen to be the NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

In between, NASA gave him a shoutout and a new nickname, as Dobbs is a certified rocket scientist. And he produced and released a TikTok video saluting Kirk Cousins and the Vikings’ fans. My head is spinning just thinking about all of this excitement.