Murphy: Josh Dobbs' win gives Vikings season new life
Brian Murphy writes that the Vikings' season looked like it was on life support heading into Atlanta and now the immediate future could be exciting
By Brian Murphy
OK, Joshua Dobbs, I’m your huckleberry. Saddle up Vikings fans and gallop into this great wide open.
Let’s see what else this forsaken gunslinger can do for our battered band of football brothers, whose identity is evolving by the hour.
Never mind that the Vikings infirmary has more bodies than a European hostel.
Or that Dobbs doesn’t know most of his teammates’ names let alone his seventh offensive system in as many NFL seasons.
Forget about the Vikings’ draft positioning, Kirk Cousins’ recent surgery, his pending free agency or the future of Minnesota’s quarterback position.
I am all about the lab experiment unspooling in Eagan as the Vikings whipsaw into the second half of their suddenly salvaged season with a winning record, surging confidence and raging uncertainty.
Damn straight.
Sunday’s 31-28 victory over the Falcons in Atlanta was improbable to start with rookie fifth-round pick Jaren Hall under center after crashing for the exam under the watchful eye and positive reinforcement of coach Kevin O’Connell.
It seemed impossible after Ward was lost to a concussion in the first quarter and Dobbs was thrust into a hostage crisis as a police cadet.
One safety and lost fumble later, he was spearheading a disaster for the Vikings, who fell behind 11-3 in eye-bleeding fashion, a score that felt destined to end that way.
They started without injured left tackle Christian Darrisaw, lost Hall and receiver K.J. Osborn to nasty head injuries and announced afterward that they feared running back Cam Akers had suffered a typically ruinous Achilles injury.
Dobbs was a mess all afternoon, but he somehow managed to convert several third downs and spin gold out of collapsed pockets, concluding one of the unlikeliest days in Vikings history with a game-winning touchdown strike to Brandon Powell with 22 seconds remaining.
Dobbs’ speed and athleticism were breathtaking to watch after five years of eyeballing the statuesque Cousins unloading some beautiful passes and absorbing some wicked hits in the backfield.
Behind a stout offensive line, imagine a new dual-threat quarterback O’Connell envisions when he dons his white coat to mentor the rocket scientist on the periodic table of pre-snap possibilities and downfield options.
It’s all so totally random during a franchise-defining moment, with a second-year regime facing heavy contract decisions on Jefferson, Cousins and defensive end Danielle Hunter, another pending free agent enjoying a monster season.
Which makes it so intriguing as the Vikings high step their way across the soft underbelly of their schedule for the next four games.
Yeah, it would be more advantageous and secure if Cousins were still stockpiling MVP numbers and reassuring his fellow warriors that an adult was in charge -- Ned Flanders with a tight spiral.
Wide receiver Jordan Addison could use a veteran quarterback to find even more creative ways to throw him open and target the rookie for tough catches on third down and in the red zone like the sideline game-saver he hauled in late against the Falcons.
Cousins made the playoffs attainable again despite a 1-4 start that saw star wideout Justin Jefferson go down with a hamstring injury. Oh, by the way, the Vikings went 4-0 without J.J., who is eligible to come off injured reserve this week.
Prudence matters when you’re talking about hamstring injuries, but I bet Jefferson wants a taste of this new offensive menu. He’ll have a chance to compete with Addison for primetime plays – bona fides each have in spades – and challenge the youngster to continue ascending.
Moreover, Jefferson can shepherd Dobbs in the acclimation game while burnishing his resume as a max contract kind of guy.
No one expected the Vikings to start 0-3 and look so bumbling doing it. After losing to the Chiefs in Week 5, few expected them to win a game anytime soon, never mind four in a row to climb back into postseason contention in the wide-open NFC.
With Cousins recovering out of sight but never out of mind, as the graphic T-shirts his teammates wore during pregame warmups in honor of their wounded colleague, this is Dobbs’ team, which sounds absurd considering a week ago he was still employed by the Cardinals.
You just don’t get this kind of unscripted entertainment in November. Not with two months of regular-season game planning following six months of conditioning, organized team activities, minicamps, training camp and everything short of a corporate retreat into the woods.
Dobbs is the opposite of Cousins in playing style, experience, security and leadership. Meanwhile, the Vikings are his fifth team in a calendar year. He’s not a journeyman. He’s a hitchhiker.
This is going to be fun to watch O’Connell shepherd Dobbs, a ferocious defense and an unflappable bunch that seems to grow closer and more confident by the week.
After last year’s magic carpet ride, we’re finally back to game-by-game revelations and plot twists that make them a water cooler moment from a bygone era.
If the Vikings aren’t quitting, neither am I.
It's about watching a team compete week after week and this team has been doing just that. Sure, it will hurt draft potential. Sure, the next 4-5 games are against nobody teams but that's the perfect opportunity for this nobody team to find its footing and start making some noise.
Count me in for the ride as well.
I appreciate a good Tombstone reference. Well played.