Less than a week after joining the Minnesota Vikings via trade from the Arizona Cardinals, quarterback Josh Dobbs led his team to an exciting 31-28 comeback victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
Jaren Hall, the starting quarterback, was knocked out in the first quarter, forcing Dobbs into the game.
After a 3-yard scramble on third down, Hall was hurt at the end of the Vikings’ second drive. Cornerback Jeff Okudah of the Atlanta Falcons and linebacker Kaden Elliss gave him a strong hit; as a result, the back of his helmet struck the Mercedes-Benz Stadium turf. Players and officials started calling for medical help right away, but Hall finally got up and left the field on his own.
Though he entered Sunday as the backup, Dobbs was supposed to take Kirk Cousins’ position long-term after the latter suffered an Achilles tear last week. With 20 seconds remaining, he completed 20 of 30 passes for 158 yards & two touchdowns, including a 6-yard pass to Brandon Powell to give the team the lead.
Other injuries were sustained by the Vikings. On Sunday, K.J. Osborn, a wide receiver, had a concussion, and running back Cam Akers sustained an Achilles injury.
Okudah struck Osborn in the head shortly after he had successfully converted a third-and-eight in the second quarter by hauling in a 13-yard throw from Dobbs. After lying still for a while, Osborn was eventually encircled by the whole Vikings squad on the field.
At first, medical personnel removed a backboard, but Osborn finally got to his feet and moved independently to a cart. As he was driven to the Vikings’ locker room, he offered a thumbs-up.
Two of the Vikings’ top three wideouts were sidelined by the injury. Due to a hamstring injury he sustained last month, Justin Jefferson is still listed as injured.
Nick Mullens, an experienced player, was the Vikings’ starting backup quarterback until the start of the season. However, Mullens has been sidelined since October 11 due to a back injury. The only other quarterback listed as active on Sunday was Dobbs.