Arizona Cardinals fans shouldn’t put much stock into Joshua Dobbs’ epic Week 9 outing
By Sion Fawkes
This time last week, Joshua Dobbs was still a member of the Arizona Cardinals, and was even named the starter in Week 9 until head coach Jonathan Gannon changed his mind. Then, the Cards sent Dobbs packing, where he ended up with the Minnesota Vikings and was not slated to play this Sunday.
But following an injury to Vikings quarterback Jaren Hall, Minnesota head coach Kevin O’Connell had nowhere else to turn except for his new quarterback. And Dobbs looked like an MVP in relief of Hall, finishing the game 20 for 30 for 158 yards, two touchdowns, and a quarterback rating of 101.8.
It’s clear that Dobbs was the unsung hero for the Vikings, who improved to 5-4 following the win, and are still within striking distance of the Detroit Lions in the NFC North. And if things couldn’t get any stranger, Dobbs did this against none other than the Cardinals Week 10 opponent, the Atlanta Falcons.
Former Arizona Cardinals quarterback wins in debut with Minnesota
If you’re a Cardinals fan, Dobbs’ performance probably stunned you into silence, but at the same time, it’s worth asking whether he would have performed much better offensively than Tune. While Dobbs led the Vikings in rushing with 66 yards on seven attempts and a touchdown, he also had an incredible security blanket in T.J. Hockenson, who caught seven passes for 69 yards.
Rookie receiver Jordan Addison has also fared well this season with 41 catches for 534 yards, and seven touchdown receptions. Yesterday, Dobbs didn’t hesitate to look his way, and Addison ended up with five receptions for 52 yards.
Dobbs also wasn’t facing the league’s top defense, so it’s safe to assume he wouldn't have enjoyed the same stellar outing against Cleveland. Therefore, if you’re a fan, it may have been a stunner to see Dobbs play good football, but it’s also important to refrain from getting too hung up on it.
We would still be calling for Kyler Murray to make his long-awaited debut if it was Dobbs, and not Tune, struggling with the Cardinals offense yesterday. So hopefully, Murray returns and plays the Falcons the same way Dobbs did.
feed
(Statistics provided by ESPN.com)