1. Josh Dobbs' rushing ability will give the Vikings a major advantage
The Saints are a difficult team to figure out. They have a sound defense under head coach Dennis Allen, but their offense has sputtered at times, which leaves the defense with too much on its plate. While the Saints excel in several areas, one of their biggest weakness is containing quarterbacks.
The Saints rank third in the NFL with 243 rushing yards per game and have seen five quarterbacks rush for 30 yards in a game. While the Jets have seen more, the Saints haven’t been facing dual threats, allowing big ground games to Bryce Young, Baker Mayfield, Trevor Lawrence, Jordan Love, and Tyson Bagent.
NOLA.com’s Luke Johnson dove even deeper into the Saints’ woes against running quarterbacks, stating that five of eight runs of 20 yards or more have been by quarterbacks and that 14-of-43 quarterback runs have converted a first down, including eight runs on third or fourth down.
This is where having Josh Dobbs under center can provide an advantage to the Vikings. Dobbs ranks third among quarterbacks with 324 rushing yards this season, and he has run for over 30 yards in six games, including last week’s performance with 66 yards in a touchdown in the win over the Atlanta Falcons.
Dobbs’s Cinderella story has been fun, and his legs may be the key to keeping it going.