After four starts with the Minnesota Vikings, former Steelers QB Josh Dobbs was benched mid-game against the Los Vegas Raiders in favor of Nick Mullens, per Tom Pelissero on X.
He started eight games for the Arizona Cardinals prior to being traded to the Minnesota Vikings in the wake of Kirk Cousins’ injury. Following an injury to rookie QB Jaren Hall, Dobbs stepped in for the Vikings and played hero against the Atlanta Falcons. He passed for two touchdowns in that game and rushed for another, including a game winning touchdown pass in the waning seconds of the game.
The week after coming off the bench, he led the Vikings to another win over the New Orleans Saints. Since then, he lost two straight to the Denver Broncos and the Chicago Bears. Against the Bears, he threw four interceptions in a 10-12 loss.
He was benched in the fourth quarter against the Raiders as the game was tied at zero. Prior to being benched, Dobbs completed 10 of his 23 passes for 63 yards. He was sacked five times for a loss of 47, so the passing game netted just 16 yards through a little over three quarters. He also rushed for 21 yards on five attempts. This was his first game playing with WR Justin Jefferson who finally returned after missing several games with a hamstring injury. Jefferson exited the game with a chest injury suffered in the game.
After inserting Mullens in the lineup, the Vikings managed to get a field goal to win the game 3-0. Mullens was able to surpass Dobbs’ total output in the three drives he played. He finished the game with nine completions on 13 attempts for 83 yards.
Dobbs’ run as the starter in Minnesota was short-lived, but he helped keep their season alive after losing Cousins to injury. He did it all with very little preparation and on short notice after being traded.
