Joshua Dobbs’ second dropback as a Viking ended in disaster and fans had jokes

First drive? Safety. Second drive? Fumble. It’s not going well.

Joshua Dobbs didn’t have much time to learn the Minnesota Vikings’ playbook. He had, after all, only spent four days with the team before its Week 9 showdown with the Atlanta Falcons.

That wasn’t supposed to be a problem. The journeyman backup had started eight games with an Arizona Cardinals team with little to play for in 2023, dutifully losing the games that could push the franchise closer to next spring’s top overall draft pick. He was acquired in the wake of Kirk Cousins’ torn Achilles to serve as a veteran mentor to rookie Jaren Hall, who was promoted to starter in Cousins’ absence.

But then Hall was injured on the opening drive of Sunday’s game. Dobbs entered and, well, looked exactly like a guy who had less than a week to learn his new team’s playbook.

Woof. That safety came after missing an open T.J. Hockenson on second down, leading to a long dropback, too much time in the pocket and a glaring lack of awareness at the 6-foot-8 Calais Campbell crashing through his periphery for two Falcons points.

Well maybe the replay will show an alternate angle that makes things a bit less embarrassing and awwwww crap, nope it’s worse.

OK, rough start, but surely his next drive will be better.

(long exhale, eyes roll so hard into back of skull they lose focus)

Needless to say, fans and analysts were a heady mix of amused and intrigued by Dobbs’ latest act of emergency, no-lead-time quarterbacking.