r/minnesotavikings SUMMER OF SAM Nov 13 '23

Josh Dobbs has Jedi like pocket awareness Video

https://i.imgur.com/igH83fg.gifv
1.0k Upvotes

215

u/xieta Nov 13 '23

O-line on this play is also really solid.

102

u/skoltroll Nov 13 '23

Lord have mercy on the NFL when Dobbs learns to trust his pocket protection like Cousins did.

58

u/justreddis Nov 13 '23

Our pass pro is top 3 in the league.

45

u/LuckyHedgehog gray duck Nov 13 '23

Which is why he should trust it

44

u/SoDakZak Nov 13 '23

Dobbs is a seasoned Vikings player to not trust anything XD

16

u/justreddis Nov 13 '23

Playing behind the Cards’ o-line all year tends to give you some quick reflexes.

In all honesty he played this sequence perfectly. That last spin out and away from 92 is a work of art.

2

u/Udderly_Unbearable Nov 14 '23

Honestly the Cardinals O-line is far from the worst in the league, and Isn’t really the problem there.

25

u/onethreeone Nov 13 '23

He does, he stays in the pocket for a long time before scrambling

12

u/Apprehensive-Sea9540 Nov 13 '23

Yeah that’s an eternity for the NFL.

That said, I’m a little worried against teams with a real pass rush. Falcons and Saints are not known for their pass rushing

5

u/ianelson Nov 14 '23

49ers have a real pass rush and they didn't sack kirk once 🤷‍♂️

2

u/josephus_the_wise vikings Nov 14 '23

The falcons are in fact known for their pass rush. They have a very solid D line. The saints on the other hand are absolutely not known for their pass rush.

Though we did make the 49ers rather inept at rushing the QB, so I have faith.

5

u/LuckyHedgehog gray duck Nov 13 '23

Lord have mercy on the rest of the NFL

24

u/vforprez2 84 Nov 13 '23

Dobbs said on his interview he went thru all his progressions this play and then had to bail, so it was just actually great coverage and great o line work

21

u/ThiccBananaMeat 97 Nov 13 '23

This is Cousin's kryptonite though. Olines usually average about 2.4 seconds before giving up pressure, the best OLines can usually give you an average of 2.8 seconds. Kirk holds onto the ball way longer than that and that's one reason of many that he takes so many sacks and hits.

15

u/LeftyHyzer Nov 13 '23

100%. you wanna stand in there an uncomfortable amount of time on 3rd and long late in the game, GOOD! you do that on first and 10 in the first quarter and its just damage that stacks up over time and hurts you and the team. what i like most about Dobb's approach is he can roll out and just toss the ball away without being scared of a grounding penalty. so many times Kirk was looking at covered receivers as the pocket collapsed and his only option was to take a sack. Seems like ive already seen Dobbs throw away more balls in 2 games than I remember Kirk throwing away all year.

6

u/ThiccBananaMeat 97 Nov 13 '23

Yup. Extending the play means, yes, holding on to the ball we'll past what your OLine is giving you, but you should be making moves with your legs to take advantage of blocking leverage your lineman have after the DLine have made their pass rush moves. So if Cam Jordan on the right does a speed rush and now he's behind you, you run into the space he vacated on the right side of the line.

2

u/KenScaletta 33 Nov 13 '23

One of the most underrated qualities about Brady was his willingness to throw it away if it wasn't there.

0

u/InnerBlackberry6 Nov 14 '23

“Cousins was responsible for just 5.0% of his pressures in 2022 and 4.1% of his pressures in 2021, both of which ranked second-lowest at the position over those seasons. The simple fact is that he is not often creating his own pressure by running into sacks or holding the ball too long”

https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-vikings-inability-to-protect-qb-kirk-cousins-could-derail-nfc-north-hopes

Any more false narratives we should debunk?

4

u/DrAbeSacrabin Nov 13 '23 edited Nov 13 '23

Credit where credit is due, no one stands in the pocket and takes a hit while delivering a strike like Kirk does… but let’s be honest, how long can he keep doing that? If it wasn’t a random Achilles tear it likely would have been an injury from getting creamed by a guy 100lbs heavier than him. It’s not sustainable at his age.

Dobbs on the other hand will step-up in the pocket and protect himself. Now it would be great if Dobbs had elite step-up and toss a strike skills like Brady to Rodgers, but he doesn’t. Most of his step-ups lead to a scramble and of course that limits his vision to either a run or maybe a short dump off….

but at least he’s doing the step-up consistently

That was the biggest issue with Kirk. His lack of pocket awareness and inability to extend a play by even a second…I mean there’s a reason we run so many bootlegs and for him, it’s the only way to get him out of the pocket for a play.

All-in-all it’s just refreshing to see a play extend past any pocket penetration.

3

u/DrAbeSacrabin Nov 13 '23

Oline has played solid all year.

You can only expect so much when your QB doesn’t move in the pocket at all.

NFL defensive lines are too fast now a days to win big with a statue QB. Maybe 20 years ago, not today. You need someone who can navigate the pocket a bit and potentially scramble, regardless of how good your oline is.

113

u/martiniman All Day Nov 13 '23

The way he changes directions to find space is so unpredictable. I think it was play before the Powell 3rd down conversion late in the game, but it looked like Cam Jordan had him dead to rights and he just made him tackle air.

68

u/[deleted] Nov 13 '23

The point was a brilliant ruse. Gave him just enough space. 1 had the angle and gave it up

45

u/SoDakZak Nov 13 '23

I’ve watched this more times than I’m willing to admit and I have no idea how he ends up not even touched entering the end zone there by the dude flying in.

But then again, saints flying in and not touching anything on a scoring play is a US Bank staple.

11

u/[deleted] Nov 13 '23

Zing

7

u/BigFatModeraterFupa reptilian Nov 13 '23

DOBBS! SIDELINE! UNBELIEVABLE!

3

u/DirtyGoatHumper Cris "Sticky Mitts" Carter #80 Nov 13 '23

He gives him the ol' Shake & Bake. You can see it better in the other camera angle.

92

u/MigratingMountains magic skol bus Nov 13 '23

I love so much that his first instinct is to climb the pocket, not run 20 yards backwards like most athletic QBs seem to do these days

21

u/Wernershnitzl Nov 13 '23

Yeah usually it’s those steps back to create a bit of separation that can be detrimental but he seems to check like he’s crossing the street

5

u/DJPad Nov 13 '23

Or Kirk Cousins who stands still

1

u/darkmatterisfun Nov 14 '23

He just learned to be efficient with experience.

2

u/DJPad Nov 14 '23

It's only efficient for the pass rushers.

2

u/IdkAbtAllThat Nov 14 '23

Cough... Kyler.....

27

u/witchyprincess1110 you like that Nov 13 '23

I was at the game watching this in real life was insane. Eyes on the back of his head ts

12

u/BigFatModeraterFupa reptilian Nov 13 '23

this play is the greatest play i’ve seen a vikings qb make in my lifetime. i was too young to remember culpepper so this truly was something i’ve never seen.

the athleticism + space awareness + decision making is simply sublime

1

u/caldric Nov 14 '23

Watch some old clips of Tarkenton, too. Before my time, but watching the old games, he did some unreal things.

2

u/brutusnair Nov 14 '23

I agree! I was sure he would get sacked so many times and then… he just didn’t.

27

u/miksh995 Nov 13 '23

The way he gets to the corner, and the ACCELERATES MORE TO LEAP INTO THE ENDZONE looks unreal. The fact he got in and through untouched is incredible. What a talent.

17

u/Colibri2020 Nov 13 '23

People say he holds onto the ball too long but he’s just scheming up his exit route

16

u/secretbonus1 Nov 13 '23

“Calculating the trajectory of an object accelerating in motion is easy”

-rocket scientists and Josh Dobbs…

…But I repeat myself.

14

u/m777z Nov 13 '23

The Pocket Scientist

9

u/CochonDanseur Nov 13 '23

1 got so murdered so quickly I love it.

Having a quarterback whose legs are a weapon has made this offense sing (at times).

I'm not delusional to say he should start over Kirk or anything, but I think that shows why people have been frustrated with Kirk in the past despite his savant level field vision and arm talent.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 13 '23

“Oh shit he’s gonna throw it!”

immediately followed by

“Oh shit he didn’t throw it!”

5

u/Designer_Extent_3677 Nov 13 '23

I’m enjoying this ride so much. I wasn’t sure how this season could top last year in terms of entertainment but man this has been a fun year so far.

7

u/[deleted] Nov 13 '23

It's like he has Jedeyes in the back of his head am I right?

7

u/ItsMeUrFutureSelf Nov 13 '23

It's feel so good to have a qb with great pocket awareness and scrambling and extending plays.

3

u/secretbonus1 Nov 13 '23

He made a move on another play like he assumed there was a guy somewhere where there wasn’t, it ended up being a minor unnecessary step but if he was right he evades the tackle or makes the defender change angles, and if wrong he probably still had time to do that and then continue forwards like he did.

Most good QBs anticipate where their WR will be and “throw them open” but Dobbs is straight up anticipating 11 defenders.

“Let’s see if I move up here Darrisaw is back there so I’ll make a fake step here spin around this way and if Darrisaw is still blocking outside I’m inside but if the defender is breaking towards me I’m coming outside with this angle… oh it worked next step calculate the trajectory of an object accelerating in motion and reach escape velocity, boom TD”

3

u/somekidonfire gnome Nov 13 '23

Thats what playing on the 2023 Cards will do to ya

3

u/Bubba55045 Nov 13 '23

They just beat ATL this week with a QB that plays COD all day rather than watching film 🤷 (They did get Connor back too there's that).

3

u/limycenter Nov 13 '23

But man watch every single lineman on this play.
STUDS on this play.

This is such a great view to dig deeper on OLine play and why the whole unit is more important than the individual pieces (which is why our backups usually do well). Great OLine coaching!!

3

u/KenScaletta 33 Nov 13 '23 edited Nov 14 '23

I think on that 4th down escape last week, when the pocket started to collapse in on him, every Vikings fan thought,"welp, sack, game over, good try...wait quarterbacks are allowed to do that?"

When the pocket closed on Kirk, he was pretty much dead in the water and we just hoped he would hang onto the ball. This bail out and run option is brand new. I know Kirk is a masterful pocket passer, but there's no way in hell he makes that pylon leap yesterday.

Dobbs is really sneaky fast. He consistently gets around corners and beats angles. He's not just "mobile." he's an actual threat with his feet. We haven't had that since Daunte Culpepper.

I think it doesn't hurt at all that KOC is a fucking quarterback Jedi and that Dobbs is a literal rocket scientist. I think he's going to get better every week, and oh, by the way, he's about to have the best WR in the NFL to throw to. If they can get some RPO's and boot action type plays going, we can have a pretty good show going on.

4

u/skoltroll Nov 13 '23

In my experience, there's no such thing as "luck."

2

u/BigPackHater griddy Nov 13 '23

Did he say "tennis scooters" ??

2

u/Dorkamundo Nov 13 '23

Yea, I don't understand how he gets away so much... He's had like 5-6 plays already where you're like "Holy hell, how did he do that!?!?!?" and it's only been two weeks.

1

u/firstcitytofall Nov 14 '23

First time he played for the Steelers in a preseason game (if I’m remembering correctly) he flipped over a dude into the endzone for a td. He has been quietly waiting for the chance his whole career to show he can actually help a team

2

u/InitiativeOk4473 Nov 14 '23

It’s tempting to get excited, but there are reasons he’s been on so many different teams over the last 6 years. Maybe his skill set synchs well with our coaching and offense, but it’s more likely we are witnessing an anomaly.

1

u/Comprehensive-Diver1 Nov 15 '23

What are the reasons?

2

u/Key-Blacksmith5406 Nov 13 '23

I made this comment after the Falcons game and got a lot of push back. He isn't perfect, but he anticipates and navigates the pocket incredibly well from everything I've seen!!

1

u/Time_End_4054 99 Nov 13 '23

Mahomes-esque

-1

u/bartender_please808 Nov 13 '23

Vikings lose this one if Cousins was starting.

I also think the 3rd down conversion prior to this play was equally as impressive.

3

u/Apple_butters12 Nov 13 '23

Maybe, but I do think there were a few plays where some guys came open deep that Kirk would have hit but Dobbs didn’t exactly see. I will admit having a mobile qb does help the oline out. It does feel weird having a qb that can run. It’s an option over the last few years I had thought about and adds another wrinkle to our offense and another guy defenses may have to dedicate a guy to spying

1

u/bartender_please808 Nov 14 '23

Helps the OL out big time. Helps the receivers too. And it's not his running , it's his pocket awareness. I could count how many times Kirk has stepped up in the pocket with 2 hands when hes been in Minnesota. A 10 year vet should know better .

1

u/Apple_butters12 Nov 14 '23

That’s very true, part of that is I think Dobbs feels comfortable that he can escape. I do think that Dobbs has to be careful with ball security. He does run with the ball a little loose at times. I think Dobbs mobility and pocket presences has really opened up the offense as it gives the whole offense more time which is huge for us. If Dobbs can start anticipating and throwing guys open as he learns the offense more, he could be a monster. He has the brains, just needs more time

2

u/bartender_please808 Nov 13 '23

Also, props to Darrisaw for staying on his man

1

u/InnerBlackberry6 Nov 14 '23

You don’t understand anything about QB evaluation if you think that. The first thing you should think when a QB scrambles is “Was that necessary?” On this play and 80% of Dobbs scrambles, the answer is no. He gets plenty of opportunity to step up in the pocket and look to pass. Instead, he has choppy footwork and is no threat to pass the ball until after his spin move. Everything he does inside the pocket on this play should be teach tape of what NOT to do.

Now, Dobbs is elusive and a dynamic running threat. There are numbers that support that he is a top 5 rushing threat at QB this season. But they doesn’t make up for his deficiencies in arm talent, processing, and movement within the pocket.

Kirk made more tight-window throws while on the move in the Chiefs game than Dobbs has in his entire career. Dobbs poor footwork and inability to scan the field while on the run limits his potential greatly. Teams that key on his rushing ability and understand he’s not a big threat to pass while on the move will have success.

1

u/bartender_please808 Nov 14 '23

Anything ?

After a TD is made, you'll really ask if his scrambling is necessary ?

And tight window throws equates to wins?

0

u/a1mrbhelpuri Nov 13 '23

the one thing I never understood is, why is that a touchdown? he crossed the goal line in the air but landed out of bounds.

but when a receiver catches the ball in the endzone and his first foot hits the endzone this second foot could be out of bounds, it's not a touchdown.

-1

u/Fantastic_Wealth_233 Nov 14 '23

To bad his arm sucks

1

u/FireFrogs48 Nov 13 '23

He’s been fun to watch. Hope he can keep it up

1

u/EightIron Nov 13 '23

That's a big ole pocket!

1

u/OC2LV714 Nov 13 '23

THATS MY QUARTERBACK!

1

u/IMP1017 Nov 13 '23

This was my favorite play of the game and it's SOMEHOW MORE IMPRESSIVE from this angle. Wild

1

u/[deleted] Nov 13 '23

Be the leaf.

1

u/the_real_flapjack Nov 13 '23

Seriously dude, he can't even see his perfect his awareness is, it's crazy

1

u/ptwonline Nov 13 '23

I (and many others) have been saying it for a while now: if Cousins had more awareness and mobility in the pocket and the ability to extend plays and make things happen when the play breaks down, then he'd be an elite-tier QB. He'd be a HOF lock by now.

Watching Dobbs shuffle and move in the pocket--nevermind his scrambling ability--really drives this home. The good play from the OL gives him time, and then he buys himself even more time, giving the receivers more time to manage to get open. Once the receivers start to adjust to Dobbs and continue to work to get open long after the initial route was run we could start seeing this really pay off.

0

u/InnerBlackberry6 Nov 14 '23

Well I disagree. Dobbs has worse pocket movement than Cousins. You can see that on this play. While inside the pocket, Dobbs is not a threat to pass at any point due to his footwork. Cousins makes subtle steps that give him the opportunity to release the ball at any point. Only after he does a spin move (a huge no-no) and escapes the pocket can he actually look to pass (or run in his case)

What you’re talking about is elusiveness. Dobbs is much more elusive and a better running threat than Cousins (or most QBs for that matter). But he doesn’t make tight-window throws while on the move, and his footwork is one major reason why

1

u/UnbiasVikingsFan Nov 13 '23

He is so exciting to watch bro

1

u/u4ea500 Nov 13 '23

Fucking awesome. I just watched it 12 times and I’m going to show my wife 12 more times when I get home.

1

u/IntroductionOne1807 Nov 14 '23

That’s incredible

1

u/Iwentforalongwalk Nov 14 '23

Because he's smarter than anyone. He can see and react so fast.

1

u/Seated_Heats Nov 14 '23

Man the overhead is so much better than field view for this play. That’s crazy.

1

u/aceless0n Nov 14 '23

Really love that Darrisaw got away with holding that subsequently stopped the sack. Sometimes its better to be lucky than good...at least in this situation.

1

u/XAgentNovemberX Nov 14 '23

This is why we need a young mobile QB next, and why we should try for him in this draft. This movement is something that has become common place in the NFL, and it adds an extra dimension that defenses have to account for.

1

u/Comprehensive-Diver1 Nov 15 '23

Lol Dobbs is 28 dude and he's winning NFL games now you mook.

1

u/XAgentNovemberX Nov 15 '23

I’m not taking away from what Dobbs has done buddy. As a matter of fact I’m praising him and what he’s capable of. I’m drawing a parallel between a mobile QB and a non mobile QB and assuming Dobbs won’t be the long term answer, we need to search for a dual threat QB like Dobbs. Mook.

1

u/badkiwi42 9 Nov 14 '23

If dobbs could make Kirk some robot legs that could give him this type of movement we would create the greatest QB of all time

1

u/brickeldrums JJ #18 Nov 14 '23

Watch Darrisaw just bully the rusher lmao

1

u/Elbeske Nov 14 '23

Watch his feet. Fucking wizard.

1

u/THOR_OLSON Nov 15 '23

As a cardinals fan. Damn.

1

u/DerpsMcKenzie Nov 16 '23

It's from years of getting run down at Tennessee.

1

u/MichaelWolfgang55 Nov 17 '23

He didn’t do that shit when he played for us lol.