Josh Dobbs is fine but he isn’t Kirk Cousins

Josh Dobbs brought his magic to Denver on Sunday night and, outside of a lost fumble on the first drive that happened due to an egregious illegal hit that was not called, he dazzled for the first half of an eventual Minnesota Vikings 21-20 loss vs the Broncos.

Is Josh Dobbs out of magic?

But, much like what we saw the week before vs New Orleans, he lost his magic wand in the locker room at halftime. But it wasn’t just the second half where Dobbs struggled. His play was up and down throughout Sunday night’s contest. Statistically, his first quarter was nearly as bad as the fourth.

It just seemed the more Kevin O’Connell tried to put the Vikings on Josh Dobbs’ shoulders, the more he struggled. In the final few drives, KOC is getting heat for being too passive. Is that because he could sense Dobbs was a ticking time bomb waiting to throw or fumble the game away? We’ll never know.

But then, Denver finally took the lead with 01:09 left on the game clock, on a lucky 50/50 “$500!” type desperation heave from Russell Wilson to Courtland Sutton. That meant O’Connell had no choice but to put the football in Dobbs’ right hand and let him win or lose the game.

Related: Vikings Suddenly Stacked with Backup Quarterbacks

With the Vikings down 21-20, Josh needed to lead the offense forward for about 40 yards, to cross into field goal range. They ran nine plays and gained 11 yards, before giving the ball back to the Broncos with 16 seconds left so they could kneel the game out.

Dobbs trade was smart and saved season… but not the future

Josh Dobbs was the perfect trade acquisition at the perfect time and the move itself will continue to pay dividends for the Minnesota Vikings throughout the 2023-24 season. And, he will have more moments because he’s a decent QB, a good person who’s respected in the locker room and, more than anything, he’ll get more opportunities.

JOSH DOBBS MAGIC 🪄
pic.twitter.com/pjwTDteqSk

— PFF (@PFF) November 20, 2023

But it’s clear, at this point, that the Vikings are a lot better with Kirk Cousins. Why, because he is a way better quarterback, which is the most important position in all major sports. Nothing against Josh Dobbs, who’s an OK NFL QB. Cousins is just elite.

The throws harder (by about 10 MPH) and much more accurately. Current and accurate velocity numbers for quarterbacks are frustratingly difficult to find, but we know Cousins, at 59 MPH, threw the hardest of any QB in his draft class at the NFL combine back in 2012.

Kirk Cousins is the winning choice for future Vikings QB

I’d argue he can throw harder now. The hardest recorded pass measured in combine history (which requires accuracy too) is 62 MPH by Josh Allen. At the 2018 NFL Combine, Josh Dobbs threw 51 MPH, which explains why we can see a noticeable difference in his velocity on Sundays vs the heat we’re used to see coming off Kirk’s throws.

Kirk Cousins with a laser pic.twitter.com/L3Lg49k2fW

— Bussin' With The Boys (@BussinWTB) December 17, 2022

.@KirkCousins8 threads the needle! #MINvsPHI on Prime Video
Also available on #NFLPlus https://t.co/eMkDgB1MP1 pic.twitter.com/MjrrQsMvSi

— NFL (@NFL) September 15, 2023

Do you wonder why Dobbs keeps on throwing passes into coverage across the middle of the field? It’s because he does not have the arm to hit corner or out routes on the sideline, especially downfield. Wondering why Jordan Addison isn’t having monster games anymore or why Dobbs throws to TJ Hockenson all the time? Now you know.

Related: Josh Dobbs Conspiracy Theory Questions Whole ‘New Guy’ Act in Minnesota

After watching Joshua Dobbs the last couple weeks, reality has started to sink in a bit. The magic he brought with him from Arizona, as is usually the case with something that seems too good to be true, wasn’t meant to last.

The Minnesota Vikings need to ride Josh Dobbs as far as his magic can take them in 2023-24. Then, they need to get Kirk Cousins back under contract because, as we’ve seen, a mediocre quarterback isn’t good enough to run the offense Kevin O’Connell wants or feed the hungry mouths of Hockenson, Addison and JJ, when he returns.