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Minnesota Vikings

Joshua Dobbs, QB for the Raiders

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On Sunday, the Las Vegas Raiders will face the Minnesota Vikings at Allegiant Stadium as they prepare for the last stretch of the 2023 season.

At 6-6, the Vikings are the NFC’s Wild Card team. They were just 1-4 at one point this season, but have since turned things around. Despite critical player injuries, the Vikings have stayed competitive throughout the season.

Kirk Cousins suffered a torn Achilles tendon in a game against the Green Bay Packers, ending his season. The Vikings needed a quarterback replacement to save their season.

At the trade deadline, the Vikings acquired Joshua Dobbs from the Arizona Cardinals. Jaren Hall started their next game against the Atlanta Falcons, but he was hurt on the first drive.

This allowed Dobbs, who had only joined the team four days before, to enter the game.

Dobbs didn’t know the playbook or even the names of his teammates, yet he still managed to throw for 158 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning score. He also scored on the ground.

The next week, Dobbs led the Vikings to another victory over the New Orleans Saints, passing for 268 yards and a score while also rushing for another. Dobbs was the biggest story in the NFL for those two weeks because of his improvisational ability on the fly for his new team.

Dobbs has not had the same level of success since then. In the last two games, he has thrown five interceptions to only two touchdowns, and the Vikings have lost both.

However, there is still hope that Dobbs will improve and rediscover his rhythm. He’s been a journeyman quarterback, bouncing around numerous clubs since the Pittsburgh Steelers selected him in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Tennessee.

Dobbs is well-known for his brilliance, having studied aerospace engineering in college and worked for NASA.

Dobbs has a good arm and is most effective when making moves with his legs. He is difficult to tackle and has made several big plays on the ground since joining the Vikings.

Dobbs is still learning the Vikings’ playbook and settling into a rhythm with his new team, but he has demonstrated the ability to make big-time, game-winning plays. The Raiders must be careful of Dobbs’ ability to improvise and escape the pocket, or the Vikings will rise once more.

The Silver and Black will play the Minnesota Vikings at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sunday, December 10, at 4:05 p.m. EST/1:05 p.m. PST.

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