Getty Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs after a 31-28 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9 of the 2023 season.
Josh Dobbs has taken the NFL by storm with two impressive wins since taking over as the Minnesota Vikings starter.
But to coach Mike Tomlin, it’s no surprise at all.
Asked about Dobbs’ emergence to NFL stardom after he was traded twice this season, Tomlin, whose Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Dobbs in the fourth round of the 2017 draft, said, “Man, Josh is a special dude.
“He’s a smart dude, he’s a football lover, he’s charismatic,” Tomlin said in his weekly news conference, per TribLive. “But I imagine the people who have had an exposure to him over the last 12 months in different cities share that perspective.”
Josh Dobbs Credits Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin After 1st Vikings Win
GettyQB Josh Dobbs of the Minnesota Vikings
Dobbs’ first win in Minnesota came just five days after the Arizona Cardinals traded him away for a Day 3 pick swap.
Dobbs, who had little knowledge of the playbook, hadn’t thrown a pass in practice and didn’t even know many of his teammates’ names, was thrust into action after Jaren Hall suffered a concussion in the first quarter in Week 10’s matchup with the Atlanta Falcons.
Dobbs translated the play calls in real-time and led his team to a 31-28 win that included a fourth-quarter game-winning drive.
He credited Tomlin in his postgame comments, saying the future Hall of Fame coach who got his start with the Vikings instilled persistence in him throughout his time in Pittsburgh.
“Hey, if you are playing you gotta go out there and play,” Dobbs said after the Vikings’ win against the Falcons, per the Pioneer Press. “The team still expects you to go out and win and play good football. In this league, there’s never an excuse for your circumstance. I learned that from Coach T (Tomlin).”
Vikings, Josh Dobbs Prepare for Primetime vs. Broncos
GettyHead coach Kevin O’Connell (left) of the Minnesota Vikings talks with quarterback Joshua Dobbs (right) before an NFL game against the Atlanta Falcons in November 2023.
The stakes continue to rise for Dobbs who will play his third game under center for the Vikings in a primetime matchup Sunday night against the Denver Broncos in a matchup featuring two of the hottest teams in the league.
Minnesota, winners of five straight games, own the league’s longest winning streak while the Broncos have won three consecutive games.
Both teams feature quarterbacks who are candidates for Comeback Player of the Year. After a 1-7 record with the Cardinals, Dobbs appears poised to contend for a playoff spot with a Vikings team that started the season 0-3.
The Broncos also started the year 0-3 but have since rallied behind a resurgent Russell Wilson. Wilson has thrown 18 touchdowns and just 4 interceptions this season after struggling his first year in Denver.
While DraftKings has the Broncos as 2-point favorites, Heavy’s projection engine, Quarter4, has the Vikings with a slight 0.5-point edge over Denver.
Minnesota’s odds took a hit with the news that Justin Jefferson will not be activated off the injured reserve list on Sunday, however, the Vikings are 5-0 since Jefferson’s hamstring injury.
“Vikings’ WR Justin Jefferson is not being activated off the injured reserve list today, per sources, and he will be ineligible to play Sunday night vs. the Broncos,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter posted to X. “His next chance to play will come next Monday night vs. the Chicago Bears, but keep in mind, the Vikings have a bye a week after that game, and Jefferson could opt for additional recovery time for his hamstring if he does not play Monday night.”