After Josh Dobbs and the Minnesota Vikings electric Week 9 win of 31-28 against the Atlanta Falcons, the Vikings are one of the most talked about teams in the NFL. After being acquired four days prior to his first start -- and not even knowing the names of his receivers -- Dobbs led a comeback for Minnesota to defeat the Atlanta Falcons. But can the Vikings continue to harness the magic of Josh Dobbs and make a playoff run?
The NFC North most certainly runs through Detroit and the Lions. A sentence that is not said much, the Lions are off to a 6-2 start, currently owning the second seed in the NFC Playoff picture. The division is most likely not in play for the Vikings, but a Wild Card spot most certainly is.
As of Tuesday, the Vikings sit in the seventh and final Wild Card spot behind the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys and ahead of teams on the outside looking in, such as the Washington Commanders and Atlanta Falcons.
The playoffs are now realistic for the five-win Vikings, a team which started 0-3. It only seemed like it would get worse when they lost Kirk Cousins to an ACL injury in Week 9. Minnesota was finally improving, reaching .500 after beating the Packers, when they received the devastating news. Vikings players showed their support of Kirk Cousins in the following game.
Josh Dobbs didn't know his Vikings teammates
Dobbs had very little familiarity with his teammates or Kevin O'Connell's playbook heading into Sunday.
"That's for next week," Dobbs said after the game, admitting to reporters he didn't know his new teammates.
Dobbs also didn't know the whole playbook, being on the team for four days, and was seen teaching his new offensive line his cadence just before entering the game. In the coming weeks, the team will benefit from Justin Jefferson return from a hamstring injury, a receiver whom Dobbs is most definitely familiar with.
The Vikings will continue with Josh Dobbs at the helm for at least next week, searching for a playoff berth. Can the Vikings make the playoffs in 2024? Only time will tell.
