Who Starts?

[VikingLord]

Dobbs has ability. He can deliver the ball where it needs to go. He can escape pressure and run. He is obviously freaking smart. He’s a damn rocket scientist. He can understand route concepts. I don’t know if Dobbs is the man. He hasn’t made it happen on the previous 5 or 6 teams he’s been on prior to the Vikings. But if anybody can get it out of him, it’s Kevin O’Connell.

I haven't watched the video yet but I plan to, but one thing that really stood out to me in the game against the Falcons was how Dobbs got it together after his horrendous start. He took a safety and turned it over not once, but twice. He had every excuse to fail. Nobody would have blamed him since he joined the team only days before and didn't even know the names of the guys he was throwing to. And yet he didn't give up. He hung in there and by the end I thought that not only was he executing the offense, he was in command of the offense. He actually gave the team a sense of confidence. That last drive to score was not an easy thing. On the road in a loud environment under time pressure and needing a TD, Dobbs led the team, including converting with his legs on a crucial 4th down.

That is amazing, and while I'm sure Dobbs has some shortcomings that will crop up at times, he made a believer out of me on that last drive alone that he has what it takes to lead this team. He earned everyone's respect and while that isn't often talked about as a factor behind success in the pros, I think it is huge as far as this team is concerned. They all could be in "woe-is-us" mode right now given all the injuries and setbacks and yet they stand 5-4 and refuse to go down or back down.

It's frustrating being a Vikings fan at times but man, I'm proud to say I'm a Vikings fan this year. This is a team that just refuses to quit and it's amazing to watch them battle. I'm excited to watch what Dobbs will do with a full week of practice under his belt.

[makila]

He hasn’t made it happen on the previous 5 or 6 teams he’s been on prior to the Vikings. But if anybody can get it out of him, it’s Kevin O’Connell.

This is my concern. Let's not act like the guy hasn't been a journeyman and not hung onto rosters.

Fans are gonna be over the top, and I expect the coaching staff to stay grounded.

I am curious what koc can get out of him though. We are in a spot where we don't have great, or even good, options. So let's see what Dobbs can do! I think his mental makeup is his strongest attribute. We also need to be realistic. Nine stops in seven years.

[J. Kapp 11]

He hasn’t made it happen on the previous 5 or 6 teams he’s been on prior to the Vikings. But if anybody can get it out of him, it’s Kevin O’Connell.

This is my concern. Let's not act like the guy hasn't been a journeyman and not hung onto rosters.

Fans are gonna be over the top, and I expect the coaching staff to stay grounded.

I am curious what koc can get out of him though. We are in a spot where we don't have great, or even good, options. So let's see what Dobbs can do! I think his mental makeup is his strongest attribute. We also need to be realistic. Nine stops in seven years.

Legitimate concern. Won’t argue it.

Watch the video. I think you’ll see, Josh Dobbs isn’t a slappie. He might not be “the guy,” but even if it’s only for the rest of the season, I think there’s something for O’Connell to work with.

[Cliff]

That was a good watch, thanks for posting it. Dobbs did a lot of impressive things. Those turnovers have to be cleaned up but he doesn't seem to have a history of bring prone to that so I'm not terribly worried yet. I'm sure we'll start to see some of the reasons he's a backup (other than the one throw in this video) as time goes on, but he certainly came through in that game.

O’Sullivan’s breakdowns are the class of the internet, and it’s not close. The detail with which he breaks down reps is just phenomenal. It’s not only technical, but he also makes it understandable. For me, it’s like crack to an addict. I can’t get enough. Any time he breaks down a Vikings QB, I’m watching.

And he doesn’t give just glowing reports. Take a look at his breakdown of Dobbs’ last game in Arizona. He brutalizes Dobbs, play after play. He said, “These are the things that get you traded” … right BEFORE they traded him! But JTO is honest enough to give Dobbs props when they’re due.

Here’s the thing … coaching matters. Dobbs has had good coaching. JTO makes that clear in this breakdown with specific examples, especially with Dobbs’ outstanding footwork. But Dobbs has never had KOC as a coach. KOC is a savant with quarterbacks. Everywhere he goes, QBs have career years. Cousins, Stafford, Cousins in Washington … even Matt Cassell in 2008 with KOC as his backup. The stories about KOC’s contributions to that QB room are legendary.

Dobbs has ability. He can deliver the ball where it needs to go. He can escape pressure and run. He is obviously freaking smart. He’s a damn rocket scientist. He can understand route concepts. I don’t know if Dobbs is the man. He hasn’t made it happen on the previous 5 or 6 teams he’s been on prior to the Vikings. But if anybody can get it out of him, it’s Kevin O’Connell.

I basically only pay attention to Vikings football these days but I would definitely watch him break down any of the players there.

Coaching and also a change of surrounding cast. Has he ever been on an offense with this level of WR/TE with a good offensive line? I'm interested to see how it goes.

[J. Kapp 11]

O’Sullivan’s breakdowns are the class of the internet, and it’s not close. The detail with which he breaks down reps is just phenomenal. It’s not only technical, but he also makes it understandable. For me, it’s like crack to an addict. I can’t get enough. Any time he breaks down a Vikings QB, I’m watching.

And he doesn’t give just glowing reports. Take a look at his breakdown of Dobbs’ last game in Arizona. He brutalizes Dobbs, play after play. He said, “These are the things that get you traded” … right BEFORE they traded him! But JTO is honest enough to give Dobbs props when they’re due.

Here’s the thing … coaching matters. Dobbs has had good coaching. JTO makes that clear in this breakdown with specific examples, especially with Dobbs’ outstanding footwork. But Dobbs has never had KOC as a coach. KOC is a savant with quarterbacks. Everywhere he goes, QBs have career years. Cousins, Stafford, Cousins in Washington … even Matt Cassell in 2008 with KOC as his backup. The stories about KOC’s contributions to that QB room are legendary.

Dobbs has ability. He can deliver the ball where it needs to go. He can escape pressure and run. He is obviously freaking smart. He’s a damn rocket scientist. He can understand route concepts. I don’t know if Dobbs is the man. He hasn’t made it happen on the previous 5 or 6 teams he’s been on prior to the Vikings. But if anybody can get it out of him, it’s Kevin O’Connell.

I basically only pay attention to Vikings football these days but I would definitely watch him break down any of the players there.

Coaching and also a change of surrounding cast. Has he ever been on an offense with this level of WR/TE with a good offensive line? I'm interested to see how it goes.

Absolutely. Our weapons are phenomenal, even with JJ out. Addison and Hockenson are a heck of a 1-2 punch, and we’re finding out that Brandon Powell is no slouch. Dobbs gets to work behind got a solid O-line. It’s a great situation for any QB.

I usually only watch Viking stuff, too. But when the Vikings traded for Dobbs, I checked to see if JTO had any analysis of him, and he had his last game as a Cardinal. After watching that review, I actually didn’t hold out much hope that he’d be any good. But the two analyses — only one week apart — couldn’t have been any more different. It was pretty remarkable.

[VikingsVictorious]

Why do people seem to think Dobbs played well? 20-30 for 150 is 5 yards per pass attempt. Not good.
Hall was 5-6 for 78 13 yards per pass attempt. Good.

[Cliff]

I basically only pay attention to Vikings football these days but I would definitely watch him break down any of the players there.

Coaching and also a change of surrounding cast. Has he ever been on an offense with this level of WR/TE with a good offensive line? I'm interested to see how it goes.

Absolutely. Our weapons are phenomenal, even with JJ out. Addison and Hockenson are a heck of a 1-2 punch, and we’re finding out that Brandon Powell is no slouch. Dobbs gets to work behind got a solid O-line. It’s a great situation for any QB.

I usually only watch Viking stuff, too. But when the Vikings traded for Dobbs, I checked to see if JTO had any analysis of him, and he had his last game as a Cardinal. After watching that review, I actually didn’t hold out much hope that he’d be any good. But the two analyses — only one week apart — couldn’t have been any more different. It was pretty remarkable.

There are a lot of variables and one of them is I'm sure he's an "up and down" kind of player which is why he's bounced around so much. Those two games might both be his normal.

It might also be (hopefully) that something about the scheme just clicks for him. I imagine adjusting to offensive schemes is like any other process in life, some feel more natural to you than others. Writers might work better on a typewriter or pen and paper than a computer keyboard. Doing things in some ways causes you to produce better results even if it's just a variation of the same basic thing.

[VikingLord]

Why do people seem to think Dobbs played well? 20-30 for 150 is 5 yards per pass attempt. Not good.
Hall was 5-6 for 78 13 yards per pass attempt. Good.

I think he played well because he won the game, including orchestrating a long, late drive under time pressure that resulted in the winning TD.

I also think he played well because he took over at QB after joining the team only 4 days prior. He couldn't have been prepared with so little prep time, and yet there he was, on the road, running the offense well enough to stay in and ultimately win the game.

And lastly, I think he played well because he overcame a disastrous start. It was unbelievably bad and in many ways embodied the start the overall team had earlier in the year in terms of just constant mistakes and bad bounces.

In terms of stats, Dobbs' performance was unremarkable compared to what some other QBs did last Sunday. And it is true that Hall was doing well, which I think most people on the board would agree with, but Hall had the whole week of preparation before the game to get ready and has been with the team since training camp. His relative success up to the point where he got hurt was less surprising to me. I feel bad for him, but he'll get another chance at some point.

[psjordan]

Why do people seem to think Dobbs played well?

Where to start.
Joined team 4 days prior, zero starting snaps in practice.

In the 2nd qtr:
Converted 3rd and 8 (13 yd comp)
Converted 3rd and 11 (22 yd comp)
Converted 3rd and 10 (11 yd rush)
Result of drive: touchdown

In the 3rd qtr:
Converted 2nd and 11 (29 yd comp)
Converted 3rd and 8 (9 yd comp)
Result of drive: touchdown and 2pt conversion (scored on 18 yd scramble, incredibly accurate 2 pt conversion throw)

In the 4th qtr:
Completed an 11 play, 75 yd game winning drive:
24 yd comp
Converted a 4th and 7 with a 22 yard rush, escaping the grasp of the D along the way
Result of drive: touchdown and the WIN, threw the game winning 6 yd TD pass with 22 seconds left.

He may not be a fantastic player, but he had a FANTASTIC game, all things considered.

[J. Kapp 11]

Why do people seem to think Dobbs played well? 20-30 for 150 is 5 yards per pass attempt. Not good.
Hall was 5-6 for 78 13 yards per pass attempt. Good.

Did you see the game, or are you just going off a stat line?

Go watch the video I posted. That’s why I think he played well.

[Crax]

I definitely don't think he started off well, but do believe he finished well. It's completely understandable that the start of that game was rough for him under those circumstances.

Maybe some of it was lucky as he's had some questionable play with the Cardinals, but we don't have a better choice this week and this can really be a statement game for him(and the Vikings) if he can play efficiently against the Saints without careless turnovers.

[JJBreaksRecords]

As soon as he plays well in a few games, crowning him king is going to wait. Id much rather see what Hall, KO's personal choice on draft day, can do.

[CharVike]

The thing that helped Dobbs the most IMO was his 66 yards and one touchdown rushing. I'm not a huge fan of watching a QB run around trying to make something out of nothing but others are. That adds another level of taking hits. It also adds more wear and tear. He takes more of a chance of getting knocked out of the game. We seen that with Hall. I like a guy with his skill set to be a guy that can come in off the bench and cause havoc. More than likely he is what he is at this point in his career. If he did a turn around the Cards would have kept him and dealt rookie Tune for a better draft pick. I think they took the take it or leave it deal. There season is over anyway. Looks like they are in a race for pick No 1. They can either select the greatest QB ever if he will play for them and trade Murray for a bunch of draft picks or trade No 1 for a bunch of draft picks.

[StanM]

Hall knows the playbook and was moving the chains when he got hurt. He was changing plays at the LOS and showed a lot of poise. I wish that we could have seen a whole game sample.

Dobbs is smart and athletic and looked great with KOC in his ear. This could go south for Dobbs if he shows us the reason he’s been on so many teams in such a short time. Hall looks like protecting the ball and so I think there is some talent there as well. I think things will become more obvious when we have several weeks of Dobbs. At this point I think the fans would go ballistic if they send Dobbs to the bench.

[VikingLord]

Hall knows the playbook and was moving the chains when he got hurt. He was changing plays at the LOS and showed a lot of poise. I wish that we could have seen a whole game sample.

Dobbs is smart and athletic and looked great with KOC in his ear. This could go south for Dobbs if he shows us the reason he’s been on so many teams in such a short time. Hall looks like protecting the ball and so I think there is some talent there as well. I think things will become more obvious when we have several weeks of Dobbs. At this point I think the fans would go ballistic if they send Dobbs to the bench.

I agree that Hall looked pretty good. He sailed the easy TD over Hockenson but other than that he looked like he was in control and made some nice throws. I definitely wanted to see more from him and I hope he is able to fully recover from his injury.

But I still think the job was never Hall's to lose. Even if he had done well against the Falcons and the Vikings not been forced to use Dobbs, I think KOC would have replaced Hall with Mullens once Mullens was ready unless Hall really lit it up. The same could very well happen with Dobbs if he regresses against the Saints, which is very possible.

It will be interesting to see what happens if all 3 QBs are healthy. Dobbs will have the inside track if he continues to play well, but if I were a betting man I'd say the odds still favor Mullens to take over at QB once he's healthy.