NFL column
The 11th matchday
Joshua Dobbs or: the man that nobody really expected
Unexpected hope for the Minnesota Vikings: quarterback Joshua Dobbs
© Adam Bettcher/Getty Images
What shines offensively in the NFL is a wandering bird who seems to have finally found happiness after many years and club changes. And defensively? We have to celebrate the Dallas Cowboys. Yet again.
By Mona Stevens and Anja Driver
If we had predicted before the season which quarterback would be the hottest at this time of year, many names would have been possible. But one thing is definitely not: Joshua Dobbs. Joshua who? Yes, that’s right: the man with the striking bald head, who has had a whopping five different franchises on his CV since November of last year. The man who was drafted in the fourth round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2017, back then to study behind “Big Ben” Roethlisberger. The man who only got his first real snaps as a starter with the Tennessee Titans in the 2022 season, but then quickly left the window again – and who is now impressing the league and many fans. They call such players Journeyman in the USA, and as we all know, travelers shouldn’t be stopped. But sometimes travelers can’t be stopped. Dobbs only came to the Minnesota Vikings as a backup after Kirk Cousins was out for the rest of the season due to a torn Achilles tendon. And suddenly he had to go onto the field without ever having trained with the team.
Dobbs himself came up with a great allegory about his short-term move from the Cardinals to the Vikings: “It’s like learning Spanish all year, then showing up on Wednesday and being told you’re coming Sunday has an exam in French.”
He barely knew the names of his new teammates, let alone the play calls, and yet he led the Vikings to a 31:28 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in their first outing with a spectacular run and two touchdown passes, precisely because quarterback Jaren Hall was also injured had to leave the field. That’s more than just jumping into the deep end, it’s actually an outrage in American football with its detailed game preparation that anticipates all eventualities.
In any case, it’s been Dobbs mania ever since.
Tanking in Minnesota? Are you kidding me? Are you serious when you say that!
Dobbs has been good on foot for a long time and is second on the current rushing yard list after Lamar Jackson (535) with 389 yards. And the following games also went well for him, with a win over the Saints and a narrow defeat against the Denver Broncos, Dobbs proved that, despite all the prophecies of doom, he can lead the team – and that he can’t give up the season to Minnesota, let alone tank it must.
Why is that? One can only speculate at this point, but head coach Kevin O’Connell has also praised Dobbs’ enormous intelligence more than once, his incredibly quick comprehension and his intuitive understanding of new, highly complex information. Maybe Dobbs just isn’t a normal player. For example, as much trivia needs to be said, he completed a degree in aerospace engineering at the University of Tennessee and during the NFL-Completed two internships at NASA during the summer break.
In Dallas defensive records are falling
Offense wins games, defense wins championships – this is one of the most frequently used phrases in sports. If it is true, the Dallas Cowboys have a good chance of going far in the playoffs. Their defense is currently one of the top 3 in the NFL. On Sunday they also proved that they are a force to be reckoned with with a 33:10 win against the Carolina Panthers. As is so often the case, the pillars of success were linebacker Micah Parson and cornerback DaRon Bland: Parson put Carolina’s quarterback Bryce Young under constant pressure and sacked him 2.5 times. Bland, meanwhile, intercepted the ball again, his sixth interception this season – which he then carried back into the end zone. With his fourth pick six this season, he equaled an old record from 1993. And by the way, it cements that the Cowboys are clearly on course for the playoffs despite some wobbles.
Halftime in the NFL
Let’s see who would make it into the playoffs as of today.
First and foremost, the rematch, which we can admire tonight: The AFC leaders from Kansas City meet the NFC leaders, the Philadelphia Eagles.
In the AFC, behind the Chiefs are the Ravens with 8-3 and then three teams with the same record (i.e. the same number of wins and losses): the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Miami Dolphins and the Cleveland Browns each with 7-3, followed by the Houston Texans and the Pittsburgh Steelers, each 6-4. Then we see the Bills at 6-5, as well as the Colts, the Broncos and the Bengals with five wins and five losses each.
In the NFC, behind the Eagles are the Detroit Lions in second place at 8-2, the 49ers in third place at 7-3 and the New Orleans Saints in fourth place at 5-5. Behind them are the Cowboys at 7-3, in sixth place the Seattle Seahawks at 6-4 and the Minnesota Vikings at seventh at 6-5. There are four teams on the bubble that are currently 4-6: The Green Bay Packers, the LA Rams, the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
A lot can and will happen here until January 13th, 2024, because then the wildcard games will enter the hot phase of the NFL playoffs.