Like many Minnesota Vikings fans, I was really looking forward to seeing Jaren Hall play. And I really enjoyed what we got to see! All two drives of it…
But then, as the entire state of Minnesota cursed the football gods that continue to toy with this Vikings team, an even more wacky and improbable scenario played out. We all watched in awe as journeyman quarterback Josh Dobbs came off the bench after spending five days with the team and proceeded to win the game. It seemed impossible, but Dobbs continued to make play after play alongside teammates so new to him that he couldn’t have picked them out of a police lineup.
It was straight out of a Disney movie. And if that plotline was in a Disney movie, we’d all scoff that it was too unrealistic.
And it reminded me of a different chapter in Vikings history, when a team had to rally around a different journeyman backup quarterback and defied impossible odds to win a game in dramatic fashion. I’m not saying Dobbs and old friend Case Keenum are remotely the same player or that Dobbs will replicate arguably the most famous play in Vikings history. However, there’s something to this Vikings team. They may have a few more miracles in them this season.
Despite having to play most of the season with backup quarterback Case Keenum, the 2017 Vikings were a really good football team. In many ways, they may be a high benchmark for the 2023 Vikings to try and live up to. But there are similarities.
Keenum elevated his game to new heights that he’s never reached since, primarily thanks to the team and coaching staff around him. Keenum had a talented play-caller in veteran coach Pat Shurmur, a good tight end in Kyle Rudolph, and a pair of dynamic playmakers at wide receiver in Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs.
Strangely enough, Dobbs may be in a similar situation.
Kevin O’Connell has proven, a year and a half into his tenure as head coach and signal caller, that he knows how to build an offense. The way that he worked with Dobbs this past Sunday was a coaching masterclass. But even before then, O’Connell was one of the elite offensive minds in the NFL at finding matchups and putting his players in position to make plays. Dobbs has a lot of catching up to do to pick up the nuances of O’Connell’s scheme. But just like Keenum, Dobbs finds himself in good hands from a coaching standpoint.
Dobbs has already become familiar with T.J. Hockenson. The Vikings’ tight end left Atlanta with a whopping 12 targets on the day. Not to disparage Kyle Rudolph or his impact in Minnesota, but there’s a solid argument that Hockenson is an even bigger weapon in the passing game than Rudolph was in his Vikings heyday. We’re only halfway through the season, and Hockenson has already passed Rudolph’s 2017 season in receiving yards. He’ll need to continue to catch touchdown passes to become the red-zone weapon Rudolph was. But he’s a dangerous weapon going deep over the middle of the field.
Another parallel is the dynamic duo at wide receiver for the 2017 Vikings. Thielen and Diggs combined for over 2,000 yards and 12 touchdowns, which is astounding considering they were playing with a backup QB. But it may not be unreasonable to expect the rookie Jordan Addison and superstar Justin Jefferson to match that production.
As we sit at the halfway point of the season, Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison have already combined for over 1,100 yards and 10 touchdowns. While Jefferson narrowly leads Addison in yards, Addison carries the duo with seven of their 10 touchdowns. It also bears mentioning that Jefferson and Addison have these numbers, with Jefferson missing the past four games with a hamstring injury. When healthy, this combo may be even more potent than vintage Thielen and Diggs. Dobbs has no shortage of weapons to work with.
When comparing their offensive lines, Dobbs may also hold a narrow edge over Keenum. Vikings fans have gotten so used to complaining about the offensive line that they don’t know how to process the quality blocking they’ve seen this year.
Looking back, it’s a huge credit to Keenum that he had the success that he did with the likes of Mike Remmers and Joe Berger anchoring that unit. If Christian Darrisaw can return to the lineup, then it’s no contest. Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill are massive upgrades over Riley Reiff and Mike Remmers, and the interiors of both lines are fairly comparable. They even both featured undersized centers in Pat Elflein and Garrett Bradbury.
The real differences between the two squads lie on the defensive side of the ball and the situation the teams find themselves in.
The 2017 Vikings went 13-3 because they used their talent wisely on offense. However, the 2017 defense also had a lot to do with it. That unit was dominant. Mike Zimmer’s Vikings finished the season as the No. 1 defense in the NFL in scoring defense and yardage. They held opponents to averages of 15.8 points and 275 yards a game.
I’m no rocket scientist, but it makes sense to me that if you’re holding teams under 16 points and 280 yards weekly, you will win several football games.
Those are numbers that the 2023 Vikings simply aren’t built to match. But it may be okay! The offense has the potential to be just as potent. And while the defense isn’t perfect, it’s incredibly well-coached. Brian Flores is coaching his ass off, and this Vikings defense is making enough aggressive plays to overcome some of their roster deficiencies.
This team can rally behind Josh Dobbs. There’s abundant talent for Dobbs to facilitate and manage, and the defense may have the moxie to keep this team in games. They can’t afford to drop any games if they continue to climb out of the 1-4 hole they dug to start the season, but they’re far from out of it as they look ahead to their matchup this weekend.
Just like in 2017, the New Orleans Saints will come to Minnesota to try and break our spirit. I’m fascinated to see how Dobbs and his new teammates respond. New Orleans could be in for more than they bargained for. There may be a few miracles left in this team.
