Joshua Dobbs stats today: Vikings QB stars, leads team to victory over Saints in first start since Cardinals trade

Jacob Camenker

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Joshua Dobbs stats today: Vikings QB stars, leads team to victory over Saints in first start since Cardinals trade image

When the Vikings lost Kirk Cousins for the season due to a torn Achilles, many were worried that their season would be dead in the water.

Instead, Minnesota improved to 2-0 since Cousins' injury with a 27-19 win over the Saints in Week 10. That was largely thanks to another strong performance from backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs.

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Dobbs was making his first start for the Vikings after being acquired from the Cardinals on eve of the 2023 NFL trade deadline. He had led Minnesota to victory in relief of an injured Jaren Hall against the Falcons, but it was expected that he would be better after having more time to learn the playbook.

Indeed, Dobbs made major strides after his gritty first win with the Vikings and looked like a competent starter in his second game. He was dominant in the first half against the Saints and helped the Vikings build a 24-3 halftime lead.

Dobbs didn't do quite as much in the second half of the game, but he still managed to lead the Vikings to a victory. That will help to further establish them as one of the better teams in the wide-open NFC.

MORE: What to know about Josh Dobbs' degree in aeronautical engineering

Just how good was Dobbs on Sunday? Here's what to know about his stats from Minnesota's win over New Orleans.

Joshua Dobbs stats today vs. Saints

Dobbs completed 23 of 34 passes against the Saints for 268 yards and a touchdown. Those numbers were remarkable considering that the quarterback had only been with the Vikings for 12 days before Sunday's contest.

Dobbs demonstrated great accuracy throughout the game. He had a strong connection with tight end T.J. Hockenson, who generated 134 yards and a touchdown on 11 catches, and that helped to keep the Minnesota passing game humming.

That said, Dobbs was also excellent on the ground against the Saints. He scrambled well throughout the afternoon, generating a team-high 44 yards on eight runs.

MORE: How Joshua Dobbs led Vikings to game-winning drive vs. Falcons

Dobbs also ran for a touchdown for the second time in as many games with the team.

Impressively, that makes him the team's rushing touchdown leader for the season, as no other Viking has more than one to his name.

Rank Player Rushing TDs
1 Joshua Dobbs 2
2 Cam Akers 1
  Ty Chandler 1

As such, it's clear that Dobbs' mobility has added another dimension to the Vikings' offense. And if he continues to be effective as a red-zone runner, that will allow the team to score more frequently.

MORE: Full details of Josh Dobbs trade between Vikings and Cardinals

Of course, there's still room for Dobbs to improve. He wasn't nearly as sharp in the second half as he was in the first half, as the Vikings scored just three points while he generated only 52 total yards after racking up 260 in the first half.

Still, Dobbs has proven that he can help to get the Vikings wins and keep them in the NFC North race. That will certainly excite Minnesota fans as they slowly turn their attention from an 0-3 start to being in the thick of the playoff race.

Jacob Camenker

Jacob Camenker Photo

Jacob Camenker first joined The Sporting News as a fantasy football intern in 2018 after his graduation from UMass. He became a full-time employee with TSN in 2021 and now serves as a senior content producer with a particular focus on the NFL. Jacob worked at NBC Sports Boston as a content producer from 2019 to 2021. He is an avid fan of the NFL Draft and ranked 10th in FantasyPros’ Mock Draft Accuracy metric in both 2021 and 2022.