KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Five days being acquired in a trade, former Tennessee star quarterback Josh Dobbs led the Minnesota Vikings to an improbable win despite not taking part in any live practice in the days leading up to the game.
Dobbs was traded on Halloween after a season-ending injury to Vikings’ starter Kirk Cousins. He started the first eight games of the season for the Arizona Cardinals, who themselves acquired the former Tennessee standout in a trade just weeks before the start of the season.
The Vikings began their Week 9 game against the Atlanta Falcons with rookie Jaren Hall under center. Dobbs entered the game after Hall was forced to exit the game due to a concussion.
He inspired his seventh NFL team to a 31-28 victory and threw the game-winning touchdown pass with just 22 seconds remaining. He finished the game 20-30 for 158 yards and two touchdowns. Dobbs also led the game in rushing, going for 66 total yards and one touchdown.
The improbability of the win was underscored in a report by ESPN beat writer Kevin Seibert. Dobbs neither thrown a single pass to his receivers nor taken a snap from the Vikings’ center before the game. He told reporters after the game that he still didn’t know many of his teammates’ names.
Alec Lewis of The Athletic reported that head coach Kevin O’Connell had to describe the details of the play call to Dobbs mid-huddle through the radio communication in his helmet.
It’s another chapter in the curious NFL career of Josh Dobbs. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2017 and served as a backup for multiple teams before getting his first career starts with the Tennessee Titans last year.
Sunday’s win was the second victory of his career as an NFL starter, the first coming with the Cardinals in a Week 3 upset of the Dallas Cowboys.
At Tennessee, he’s credited with helping rejuvenate the football program. He led the Vols to three consecutive bowl wins from 2014-2016; the school’s first bowl wins since 2007. Dobbs is one of four QBs in SEC history with 50 career passing touchdowns and 25 career rushing scores.
