(Eagan) Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell was ready to give the Saints defense credit for a Minnesota play inside the 20 in the second quarter Sunday.
Then, on his first start, quarterback Joshua Dobbs left the pocket to his left to extend the sequence. He beat the defense and finished his run in the end zone.
Before his torn Achilles tendon, Kirk Cousins was one of the best passers in the league. Dobbs brought a different approach to the offense, with his ease running.
Dobbs, acquired from the Arizona Cardinals last month, led the Vikings to two wins and kept the team’s playoff chances alive.
He completed 23 of 34 passes for 268 yards in the win over the Saints. He had a rushing touchdown and a touchdown pass.
Cousins had dominated since O’Connell arrived. He has 2,331 passing yards this season, with 18 touchdown passes (second most in the NFL).
However, Cousins has never been a mobile quarterback, and Dobbs has changed the look of the Vikings’ offense in that regard.
” It’s crazy. With him, you can’t assume the game is over, said tight end TJ Hockenson, who had 134 receiving yards and a touchdown against the Saints. You just have to try to find free space and outspeed your opponent. You have to play until the whistle, because you never know what can happen. »
In two games with the Vikings, Dobbs rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns. He has 368 rushing yards this season. Cousins’ highest total in six seasons with the Vikings was 156 yards in 2020.
The defense performs under the direction of coordinator Brian Flores, particularly against the aerial game.
On Sunday, the Saints finished the game with 215 passing yards. The Vikings have held opponents to 266 yards or less in seven straight games.
The Vikings also had two interceptions on Sunday, for a total of eight through five games. The team had only achieved one after its first five duels of the season.
Dobbs helped the ground attack, but the team hasn’t addressed all of its deficiencies in that aspect. No Vikings player has rushed for more than 100 yards this season.
Vikings senior running back Alexander Mattison is 24e in the NFL with 461 yards.
The Vikings average 85.7 rushing yards per game and come in at 29the rank in the league in this regard.