Stanzel’s Sports Takeout — BREAKING NEWS: 11.6.23
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Dobbs Leads Vikings to Improbable Win in Atlanta
Despite playing a below average team, Sunday’s 31-28 win in Atlanta goes down every bit as remarkable and unexpected as say the Minnesota Miracle and last year’s comeback against Indianapolis - the largest in NFL history.
The Vikings had no reason to win, not when third string QB Jalen Hall went out with a concussion early on, nor when No. 2 receiver K.J. Osborn lay motionless for several minutes after a hit from both sides. Not when No. 4 QB Joshua Dobbs, who got to town around 100 hours before game time, got sacked in the end zone for a safety. Dobbs hadn’t taken a single snap in practice. Not one from the guy he spent 50 minutes taking snaps from, Garrett Bradbury. That means no passes to any of his receivers he completed 20 throws to. This video of him taking snaps and practicing cadence with the offensive line before going into the game is remarkable, and a great catch by KARE11.
But then Dobbs did what the Vikings brass thinks a 1-9 starting QB can do, with good players around him. He led the team to what seemed to be impossible early on. Dobbs ran for a team-high 66 yards, including an 18-yard TD that, combined with a two-point conversion, tied things up late in the third quarter.
He sprinted for another 22 yards late in the fourth, with the Vikings trailing 28-24 after a demoralizing Falcons drive and touchdown. That run, on third down, set up a six-yard pass to Brandon Powell for the game-winning score with 22 ticks left on the clock.
NFL offenses are complex to learn. This guy’s been here half a week. Now, it was a brilliant game of play calling by Kevin O’Connell and staff, even angering yours truly by settling for a field goal on third and long early in the fourth. But Dobbs isn’t like the rest of us. He’s got an aerospace engineering degree, and interned with NASA. “Blue 42” is nothing for him.
The Vikings hadn’t scored 31 points this season, not with Kirk Cousins at QB or Justin Jefferson at WR. They’ll put their four-game winning streak (suddenly just 1.5 games behind Detroit for the NFC North lead) against a Saints team that has won two straight to move to 5-4. They’ll certainly be without Cam Akers, not only running back 1A but the NEXT quarterback in line, should Dobbs have gotten hurt. Akers himself got hurt, with the Vikings fearing an Achilles injury that would end his season. Osborn’s injury looked awful - he got up on his own, but it would be hard to see him returning in a week.
Enjoy this one, the Vikings sure did.
Wild Turn Things Around Versus Rangers
I’m not one who thinks a single game can spark a season-long resurgence, but if it helps the Wild players go to practice the next day I’m all for it.
The Wild fell down 3-0 to the Rangers at home, facing a fifth straight loss head on. But Marc-Andre Fleury came on (the three goals were not Filip Gustafsson’s fault), helping to lead the Wild to a 5-4 shootout win at The X on Saturday.
Dean Evason had a talk with his captains Friday, and the effort was much better after they went down three goals (on four shots). Mats Zuccarello had a goal and an assist. Matt Boldy’s goal in the shootout went down as the game-winner, and Fleury’s shootout save doing the splits will go down as one of the more memorable stops of his 990 NHL games played.
This game of course matters not if they don’t put another foot forward Tuesday at the Islanders to start a three-game Eastern road trip.
Wolves 3-2 After Ripping Utah
The Wolves’ wins have been no doubters, the latest a 123-95 shellacking of Utah at home to move to 3-2 on the young season.
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 15 of his 25 points in a third quarter stretch that reminds Wolves fans of what can be with Towns. Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 31 points, while Rudy Gobert continued his torrid start with 11 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks. Gobert looks like a different player this season. That could, of course, be because the Wolves gave Naz Reid (16 points) a giant contract on the eve of the season.
The Wolves play host to 5-0 Boston tonight at Target Center in the third of a four-game homestand. Twenty-one dollars gets you in the door tonight!
Gopher Football Suffers Bad Loss to Illinois
When the Gophers are playing a bowl game the week of Christmas instead of the week of New Year’s, they can look no further than a pair of losses. You thought Northwestern was bad, how about Saturday’s last minute 27-26 loss to Illinois. The Gophers basically controlled their own destiny in the Big Ten West, but that’s over with as Iowa has grabbed the division lead.
Backup QB John Paddock completed three passes for 85 yards on a last second drive as the Illini stunned the Gophers crowd. Illinois turned the ball over twice in the fourth quarter alone, but conservative playcalling did Minnesota in.
Minnesota visits Purdue, which is below both Northwestern and Illinois in the standings with one win, Saturday.
Gopher Hockey Update
The Gopher men, ranked sixth, beat No. 14 Minnesota-Duluth at home on Friday before skating to a 3-3 tie in Duluth on Saturday. The Gophers did win the shootout. Minnesota will face current No. 4 Michigan on the road this weekend.
The Gopher women didn’t have an easy time with Minnesota State, winning 3-1 at home on Friday and 2-1 in Mankato on Saturday. They play a pair of games at UMD this weekend.
Gopher Hoops Opens Up Tonight
The Gophers men’s hoops team, coming off back-to-back last place seasons in the Big 10, tips off the season officially tonight at home against Bethune-Cookman. The women open things up Wednesday at home against Long Island.
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