The Vikings lost starter Jaren Hall to a concussion on their second possession and had to turn to Joshua Dobbs who had only been with the team for 5-days. But Dobbs didn’t disappoint.
Hall had started well, 5/6 for78 yards, but all anyone was talking about come the end of the game was Dobbs incredible Vikings debut as he passed for 158-yards and 2 touchdowns, and added 7-66 and another TD on the ground. It was a masterclass of throwing talent, intelligence, and athleticism.
VIKINGS WIN KEEPS THEIR SEASON ON TRACK
The Vikings season had looked on the rails after last weeks devastating season ending loss of veteran QB Kirk Cousins. The acquisition of Dobbs had been seen as a desperate move, which it was. It also proved to be exactly what Minnesota needed.
Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell could hardly believe what he’d seen his newly acquired QB do. “What he was able to do in really five days’ time was as impressive as I’ve seen a quarterback be able to do,” O’Connell said
The Falcons had benched their starter Desmond Ridder for Taylor Heinicke coming into the game, and despite the disappointment of losing Heinicke was full of admiration for Dobbs. “The fact that he got traded this week and comes in and plays like that? He’s a good player, man,” Heinicke said. “Playing on a short week, learning a new playbook and scoring 31 points, kudos to him.”
Falcons head coach Arthur Smith was left rueing what he felt was a golden opportunity for a W. “Every week, we are looking to improve,” Smith said. “We lose games this close, we have to change something to get over the hump.”
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Downs | 23 | 18 |
| Passing 1st downs | 13 | 12 |
| Rushing 1st downs | 8 | 6 |
| 1st downs from penalties | 2 | 0 |
| 3rd down efficiency | 7-16 | 10-18 |
| 4th down efficiency | 1-1 | 0-0 |
| Total Plays | 73 | 67 |
| Total Yards | 363 | 370 |
| Total Drives | 13 | 13 |
| Yards per Play | 5.0 | 5.5 |
| Passing | 217 | 260 |
| Comp-Att | 25-36 | 21-38 |
| Yards per pass | 5.4 | 6.7 |
| Interceptions thrown | 0 | 1 |
| Sacks-Yards Lost | 4-19 | 1-8 |
| Rushing | 146 | 110 |
| Rushing Attempts | 33 | 28 |
| Yards per rush | 4.4 | 3.9 |
| Red Zone (Made-Att) | 3-6 | 1-2 |
| Penalties | 1-4 | 8-62 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 2 |
| Fumbles lost | 2 | 1 |
| Interceptions thrown | 0 | 1 |
| Defensive / Special Teams TDs | 0 | 0 |
| Possession | 31:32 | 28:28 |
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