Vikings at Falcons

[CharVike]

Rumors of torn achilles for Akers. Going to be seeing even more Mattison now. May get more chandler at least

Oh, man... The hits keep on coming.

Maybe the rookie on the practice squad will be promoted.

[Texas Vike]

What a fun win today. Dobbs' ability to make something out of nothing and play off script was so refreshing. Love his determination. Any news on Darrisaw's injury? Or JJ? Are they likely to play next week vs. the Saints? This season has taken some odd turns, but I'm glad there's still reasons to watch.

[JJBreaksRecords]

Could be without Hall, TJ, (Akers for sure) KJ....I dont like the idea of Mattison with even more carries, KO doesnt like Chandler for whatever reason. Nor McBride.

[VikingLord]

Crazy game. I don't think I can remember a time when the Vikings suffered so many key injuries in a single season. When you're down to the QB that was acquired just five days earlier and your backup QB at one point is a RB that was acquired via trade earlier in the season (and who also went out with an injury in the same game), I don't think there is any contingency planning for that situation.

Still, the team found a way. The defense gave up a long score on an ill-timed blitz and then gave up a long, run-focused late drive for a TD, but Dobbs and Addison and the offense found a way to counter late. If I'm the Falcons I don't know if they're ever going to be in another game that ends up being so favorable to their chances of winning than the one yesterday. To blow that opportunity has to sting.

As for the Vikings, I liked what I saw from Dobbs. He got thrown into a very challenging situation, and the way it started was nothing short of a complete disaster. And yet he persevered. There was a point in the game where he just suddenly looked calm and in control even though there was no way he had any business being calm and in control. He led the team when they needed him to lead, made the throws they needed him to make, escaped pressure well and used his mobility to keep drives alive. The throw that really impressed me was on the 2 point conversion. That was a very difficult throw. It had to be perfectly placed and it was. He made other nice throws too, but that one stood out.

I liked what I saw from Hall when he was in there too. He missed to TJ in the end zone before he got hurt, but he was winging it and I wanted to see more from him.

So this is one of those weird situations. Cousins goes down, and I think the season is more or less over. Now, I suddenly have some optimism that the situation might not be lost after all.

One other thought that keeps crossing my mind is the Vikings history of having surprising seasons with unheralded backup QBs at the helm. In 1998, Brad Johnson was replaced by Randall Cunningham who had been out of football prior to joining the team. That team went on to a 15-1 record and came within an OT field goal miss of the Superbowl. In 2017, the Vikings had to go to their 3rd string QB in Case Keenum. He led that team to the NFC Championship Game and while they weren't close in that game, they had a great season as well.

Can history repeat itself this year? The Vikings have had almost unworldly bad luck to start this season. They've battled through it and showed a lot of character in the process. Maybe the football gods will decide to have mercy on them and some of the bounces will start to go their way.

[CharVike]

Crazy game. I don't think I can remember a time when the Vikings suffered so many key injuries in a single season. When you're down to the QB that was acquired just five days earlier and your backup QB at one point is a RB that was acquired via trade earlier in the season (and who also went out with an injury in the same game), I don't think there is any contingency planning for that situation.

Still, the team found a way. The defense gave up a long score on an ill-timed blitz and then gave up a long, run-focused late drive for a TD, but Dobbs and Addison and the offense found a way to counter late. If I'm the Falcons I don't know if they're ever going to be in another game that ends up being so favorable to their chances of winning than the one yesterday. To blow that opportunity has to sting.

As for the Vikings, I liked what I saw from Dobbs. He got thrown into a very challenging situation, and the way it started was nothing short of a complete disaster. And yet he persevered. There was a point in the game where he just suddenly looked calm and in control even though there was no way he had any business being calm and in control. He led the team when they needed him to lead, made the throws they needed him to make, escaped pressure well and used his mobility to keep drives alive. The throw that really impressed me was on the 2 point conversion. That was a very difficult throw. It had to be perfectly placed and it was. He made other nice throws too, but that one stood out.

I liked what I saw from Hall when he was in there too. He missed to TJ in the end zone before he got hurt, but he was winging it and I wanted to see more from him.

So this is one of those weird situations. Cousins goes down, and I think the season is more or less over. Now, I suddenly have some optimism that the situation might not be lost after all.

One other thought that keeps crossing my mind is the Vikings history of having surprising seasons with unheralded backup QBs at the helm. In 1998, Brad Johnson was replaced by Randall Cunningham who had been out of football prior to joining the team. That team went on to a 15-1 record and came within an OT field goal miss of the Superbowl. In 2017, the Vikings had to go to their 3rd string QB in Case Keenum. He led that team to the NFC Championship Game and while they weren't close in that game, they had a great season as well.

Can history repeat itself this year? The Vikings have had almost unworldly bad luck to start this season. They've battled through it and showed a lot of character in the process. Maybe the football gods will decide to have mercy on them and some of the bounces will start to go their way.

Don't forget Wade Wilson basically playing lights out in 87 playoffs. He was Kramer's backup and didn't start the Saint game. That champ game really hurt. Still a classic game. Moss helped Cunningham. Just throw it as far as you can dog and I'll go get it.

[cogitator]

From an article at Sports Illustrated. Impressive he could do anything at all given this -

Speaking to reporters after the game, Dobbs admitted that he didn’t even know all of his teammates’ full names. In fact, he’d never even logged a single snap with the first-string offense during practice, never thrown a pass to any of his teammates, and had never even taken a practice snap from center Garrett Bradbury.

[VikingLord]

Don't forget Wade Wilson basically playing lights out in 87 playoffs. He was Kramer's backup and didn't start the Saint game. That champ game really hurt. Still a classic game. Moss helped Cunningham. Just throw it as far as you can dog and I'll go get it.

Completely forgot that Wilson came in during that playoff game, probably because he didn't play any of the season prior to that and that was a strike-shortened season to boot. But yeah, that is another example of a backup stepping in and excelling under very difficult circumstances.

Sometimes it is the nature of the circumstances that allow someone to emerge or something to happen that nobody could see coming. Dobbs has bounced all over the league to this point and just played for what is one of the worst, if not the worst, team in the NFL this year. There is no pressure on him because nobody expects him to be the savior or some high-priced free agent acquisition. He can play loose and free and just flow with the game, and from what I saw from him against the Falcons, that is exactly what the Vikings offense needs at QB.

It is a lot to expect Dobbs to be the next guy in the line of unheralded QBs who did amazing things behind center when given the chance, but I sure can hope he is the next guy like that for this team.

[CharVike]

Don't forget Wade Wilson basically playing lights out in 87 playoffs. He was Kramer's backup and didn't start the Saint game. That champ game really hurt. Still a classic game. Moss helped Cunningham. Just throw it as far as you can dog and I'll go get it.

Completely forgot that Wilson came in during that playoff game, probably because he didn't play any of the season prior to that and that was a strike-shortened season to boot. But yeah, that is another example of a backup stepping in and excelling under very difficult circumstances.

Sometimes it is the nature of the circumstances that allow someone to emerge or something to happen that nobody could see coming. Dobbs has bounced all over the league to this point and just played for what is one of the worst, if not the worst, team in the NFL this year. There is no pressure on him because nobody expects him to be the savior or some high-priced free agent acquisition. He can play loose and free and just flow with the game, and from what I saw from him against the Falcons, that is exactly what the Vikings offense needs at QB.

It is a lot to expect Dobbs to be the next guy in the line of unheralded QBs who did amazing things behind center when given the chance, but I sure can hope he is the next guy like that for this team.

The only reason I remember because it was a great season for me as a fan. One of my favorite seasons. We had young stars on both sides of the ball and the arrow was pointing up. With Dobbs who knows. But our coaching staff had the team ready to play on both sides of the ball. A rookie QB ripped the Falcons the week before which makes me wonder if there pass D is any good. This is a golden opportunity for Dobbs. I hope he plays solid.

[VikingLord]

The only reason I remember because it was a great season for me as a fan. One of my favorite seasons. We had young stars on both sides of the ball and the arrow was pointing up. With Dobbs who knows. But our coaching staff had the team ready to play on both sides of the ball. A rookie QB ripped the Falcons the week before which makes me wonder if there pass D is any good. This is a golden opportunity for Dobbs. I hope he plays solid.

That throw to Addison on the final drive cannot be blamed on the pass defense. Nor can the 2 point conversion pass Dobbs threw which was well covered. Dobbs also made a lot happen with his scrambling ability. The Falcons were trying to fluster him into mistakes and to be fair to them, they succeeded when Dobbs first came in. But after Dobbs settled in, he just was better than they were.

For the record, statistically the Falcons are not a bad defense. They are not a great defense, but they have done well and were no pushovers. Dobbs had no business beating them under those circumstances, and the fact he did is more a credit to him than any black mark against the Falcons secondary or defense overall in my view.

[CharVike]

Some injury updates
https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/vik ... -hockenson
Akers is out but he had the same injury in 2021 and recovered in 5 months. Ty Chandler will see an expanded role in the Vikings' backfield with Akers out. Hock picked up a rib/midsection injury during the Falcons game but was able to battle through it and stay on the field. Hock played about as good as a TE can against the Falcons. That's all around play. That catch and running through guys was a hell of a play. Even the ball that got knocked out while securing it was a great catch using just his hands. The DB just made a very good play knocking it out. They can play also. Darrisaw looks to be limited because of a groin and nothing serious. Justin Jefferson, who is eligible to return from IR this week, the Vikings are still working through what the timeline looks like with his hamstring injury. O'Connell expects to have more of an update on Wednesday. Hall and Osborn concussion protocol.

[psjordan]

Well I'm back from the weekend in ATL and that game was an emotional roller-coaster. Good news is that I sat with a bunch of Vikes fans, bad news is the ONE Falcon fan in front of us was as obnoxious as can be. Most of us took it in stride but one 30-ish Vikes fan two rows in front let this guy have it. Price you pay I guess.

Anyways a few small things, I have no idea if they made it to the broadcast:

KOC ripped the heck out of the refs during one TV timeout. I mean he was in full rip-city-flailing-arms mode and had half the officiating crew catching spit. I've not seen that from him before and honestly it was great to see. Maybe he's learned ("TJ, GET DOWN!") not to give the live TV cameras fodder for social media.

We were pretty much behind the Vikes bench, 5th row. When Hall first got hurt the OL gathered around Dobbs at our end of the bench, introduced themselves and then started going over protection calls. I'm sure they kept it to the basics, but it was kind of funny to watch. Then Dobbs warmed up with Addison and Powell, with assistants throwing the ball back. Reason I mention this is that after the safety, Dobbs warmed up with TJ. Then after the half time break NO ONE would warm up with him. He threw the ball back and forth with an assistant. In fact the refs had to kick those two off the field to get the kickoff going. Maybe it was normal, but at that point I thought oh crap, the O has lost confidence in him, and if he's going to turn it around he's going to have to do it on his own with his own motivation. Lots of talk this week about Dobbs picking up the plays and calls in a hurry, but I have to say I thought his mental toughness getting over the mistakes was absolutely remarkable. And he made three INCREDIBLE second half plays all on his own, and that would have been with or without knowing the playbook. Lots to like about this guy. Not sure how he'll fare from here on out, or where his talent taps out, but I don't think the O will lose confidence if mistakes come.

There is no question in my mind that KOC just went up several notches in the players minds. Talk about Dobbs picking stuff up, sure, but it's just as hard or even harder to distill the information IN GAME! to a brand new QB who knows nothing of our offense. Boy was I impressed with that.

Although our D gave up some chunks and at one point gave up 11 straight running plays for an ATL TD (during which the ATL fan in front of us was insufferable), I never saw anyone on the D side panic during the game, during timeouts, on the sidelines, etc. It seemed they all had a sense the D would make enough plays to win the game. Again, not sure where our talent tops out and we lose based on the other team having better players, but I sure like the attitude.

And now I will temper all the good feelings with this - we've won 5 games pretty much against 5 suspect QB's. This week should be a better test in that regard, and I'm sure glad that Dobbs will have a week of practice to help on the offensive side, should things get ugly on D.

I really did get the sense on our sidelines though that this team expects to be in every game no matter the mistakes along the way. That is a very good sign IMO.

[StanM]

Don't forget Wade Wilson basically playing lights out in 87 playoffs. He was Kramer's backup and didn't start the Saint game. That champ game really hurt. Still a classic game. Moss helped Cunningham. Just throw it as far as you can dog and I'll go get it.

Completely forgot that Wilson came in during that playoff game, probably because he didn't play any of the season prior to that and that was a strike-shortened season to boot. But yeah, that is another example of a backup stepping in and excelling under very difficult circumstances.

Sometimes it is the nature of the circumstances that allow someone to emerge or something to happen that nobody could see coming. Dobbs has bounced all over the league to this point and just played for what is one of the worst, if not the worst, team in the NFL this year. There is no pressure on him because nobody expects him to be the savior or some high-priced free agent acquisition. He can play loose and free and just flow with the game, and from what I saw from him against the Falcons, that is exactly what the Vikings offense needs at QB.

It is a lot to expect Dobbs to be the next guy in the line of unheralded QBs who did amazing things behind center when given the chance, but I sure can hope he is the next guy like that for this team.

The rookie Fran Tarkenton came off the bench in the Vikings first game in 1961 when George Shaw was hurt. He threw for three TD’s and ran a fourth in to beat the Bears.

I was ten years old and waited all summer for our new team to play their first game.