Did the Broncos break the 'Passtronaut'?
![Minnesota Vikings v Denver Broncos Minnesota Vikings v Denver Broncos](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4383,h_2465,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/46/01hhsr8hqcn9c7y24fjm.jpg)
The Minnesota Vikings started their season with a 1-4 win-loss record, then won two consecutive games against Chicago and San Francisco. During their Week 8 NFC North division matchup against the Green Bay Packers, on the road, their starting quarterback Kirk Cousins suffered an ankle injury, which resulted in a season-ending torn Achilles.
2023 5th-round rookie Jaren Hall entered the game after Kirk Cousins got injured. Minnesota ended up winning that game by a 24-10 score. Casually, after that game, the NFL trade deadline happened, and the Vikings did not give up their season following the injury-loss of their starting quarterback.
Despite a 4-4 record, and despite having rookie Jaren Hall and Nick Mullens in their quarterback room, Minnesota traded a 2024 NFL Draft sixth-round pick for quarterback Joshua Dobbs, aka 'The Passtronaut' and a 2024 NFL Draft seventh-round pick.
Dobbs, who was the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, was traded to the Vikings in a win-win situation for both teams, since the Cardinals' franchise quarterback Kyler Murray, was close to returning to action, and on the other side, Minnesota lost Cousins for the remainder of the season.
The Vikings' first game after the Cousins injury, was on the road against the Atlanta Falcons. Head coach Kevin O'Connell named rookie Jaren Hall the starter for that game because they just traded for Dobbs so he needed time to learn Minnesota's playbook and his new teammates' names. In the first quarter of that game, Hall suffered a concussion and was ruled out for the remainder of the game. Josh Dobbs entered the game and took the Vikings to their fifth win of the season. Dobbs finished with 224 total yards and three total touchdowns.
Following that game, Hall remained in the concussion protocol, and Dobbs was named the starting quarterback for the Vikings. Minnesota hosted the New Orleans Saints, Josh had another strong game, and the Vikings ended up winning that game. A 6-4 record for Minnesota, a 5-0 record since losing against the Chiefs in Week 5, and 2-0 since the Josh Dobbs trade.
A hot Vikings team traveled to Denver to face the Broncos for their week 11 matchup, and the 'Passtronaut' downfall kind of started.
The Broncos were trailing mostly in the entire game, but with one minute and ten seconds left on the game clock, Russell Wilson found Courtland Sutton in the end zone to take the lead.
RUSSELL WILSON FINDS COURTLAND SUTTON TO STEAL THE LEAD 😱
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 20, 2023
Broncos now up 21-20 with about a minute left in the 4th quarter vs. the Vikings.pic.twitter.com/5x0S7i4ugR
Despite a few turnovers, Josh Dobbs had a good game overall but was not able to take the dub on the road against the Broncos. Since the Broncos won over the Vikings, Minnesota lost against the Chicago Bears and won against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Against the Raiders, Dobbs was benched for Nick Mullens in the fourth quarter of the game. Following that game, the Vikings named Mullens the starting quarterback, and rookie Jaren Hall the backup.
#MINvsCIN inactives pic.twitter.com/Hk6LWGNHVg
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 16, 2023
Not only did the Vikings bench Dobbs, but was named the third-string quarterback, and was a healthy inactive for Minnesota's Week 15 game against the Bengals.
feed
Do you think that the Broncos broke Josh Dobbs and started his downfall with the Vikings?