In his debut season as an NFL starting quarterback, Joshua Dobbs has faced a series of challenges, raising questions about the continuation of his starting role. Following the Minnesota Vikings’ narrow 12-10 loss to the Bears on Monday night, head coach Kevin O’Connell remained non-committal about Dobbs starting post the bye week. Dobbs’ recent struggles, marked by six turnovers in the last two games, contribute to the uncertainty.
The quarterback’s performance against the Bears saw him throw four interceptions, bringing his total interceptions for the season to 10, tying him for fourth place in the NFL. Only Josh Allen, Sam Howell, and Mac Jones have thrown more interceptions than Dobbs. Additionally, Dobbs has lost two fumbles across his tenures with the Cardinals and Vikings.
With the Vikings holding a 6-6 record and occupying the final playoff spot in a competitive NFC race, O’Connell recognizes the pressing need to secure a quarterback who can better protect the football. As the team navigates the challenges of securing a playoff berth, the urgency to address the quarterback situation becomes increasingly apparent. The article also includes a power ranking of all 32 starting quarterbacks based on their performances 12 weeks into the season, reflecting their current standings and highlighting recent developments in the NFL quarterback landscape.
FOUR INTs for the Bears.
This time it's Kyler Gordon.
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24. Joshua Dobbs, Minnesota Vikings (20)
Season stats: 252-394 (64.0%), 2,401 yards, 13 TDs, 10 INTs
Any quarterback coming into the NFL hopes to get an opportunity as a starter. Dobbs has done his best to take advantage of that chance. He’s tied with Matthew Stafford and Lamar Jackson for touchdown passes, and he has one more than Trevor Lawrence.
But like any quarterback, turning the ball over will cause any coach to question keeping you on the field. It’s why Jimmy Garoppolo got benched in Las Vegas and why Mac Jones’ status in New England has been scrutinized.
Dobbs deserves a lot of credit for what he’s done this season, making as many exciting plays as he has and having an almost storybook-like moment in Minnesota. But reality can be cruel, and that’s why despite the good that Dobbs has shown, the bad could get him sidelined when the Vikings travel to Las Vegas on Dec. 10.
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