Vikings commit to Josh Dobbs as starting quarterback against Raiders
The decision came after a lengthy evaluation process over the bye week.
Josh Dobbs will be the starting quarterback when the Vikings travel to play the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday afternoon at Allegiant Stadium.
The decision from head coach Kevin O’Connell to move forward with Dobbs came after a lengthy evaluation process over the bye week. It featured O’Connell going back and watching every snap Dobbs has taken since being acquired from the Arizona Cardinals at the trade deadline.
There were some good things and some bad things, and ultimately, O’Connell concluded that Dobbs was the team’s best option, with veteran Nick Mullens serving as the backup and rookie Jaren Hall continuing his development. There was a good amount of communication between everybody involved with O’Connell taking it upon himself to make sure he puts Dobbs in position to succeed.
“It was more of, ‘What can I do to continue to help him?’ ” O’Connell said. “I think it’s important that Josh understands that I have that belief in him.”
The hardest part about this whole situation has been the fact that Dobbs has had to learn a lot on the fly since he took over the starting job.
This is an offense that was tailored to franchise quarterback Kirk Cousins before a torn Achilles tendon ended his season. As much as Dobbs was able to make things happen after being thrust into the spotlight last month, he was also still trying to figure out how he fit into a system that placed a huge emphasis on rhythm and timing.
“We’ve been in a process of trying to provide him with clarity on what we’re doing offensively,” O’Connell said. “We’re learning a lot about each other as we go.”
Asked about his comfort in the offense nowadays, Dobbs said he has appreciated that he’s been able to be honest with O’Connell during their conversations.
“The communication has been great,” Dobbs said. “It’s sharing the things I like in the game plan and also not being afraid to share things I don’t feel comfortable with right now.”
There will likely be some minor tweaks to the offense as a result, which, in turn, should gives Dobbs a chance to use his unique skill set to make an impact.
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