Josh Dobbs’ off-the-bench heroics Sunday look even more impressive with added context from Pro Football Focus.
Dobbs put up 158 yards through the air and rushed for 66 more, while adding three total touchdowns, finishing with a PFF grade of 82.5 – unsurprisingly the highest offensive grade for the Vikings.
This is despite Dobbs and starting QB Jaren Hall being sacked five times, with the pair hurried an astounding 21 times during the game. Below are the grades PFF dished out to the Vikings offensive line:
Offensive line grades (Pass Block, Run block)
LT – David Quessenberry (86.6, 44.4)
LG – Dalton Risner (77.9, 61.6)
C – Garrett Bradbury (65.8, 37.8)
RG – Ed Ingram (81.8, 43.0)
RT – Brian O’Neill (66.4, 40.6)
These are among the lowest overall scores the Vikings offensive line had all season – but does that mean it was a bad performance? Not necessarily.
Sure the Falcons hurried the QBs 21 times during the game, but Dobbs came in at short notice having been with the team for five days since he was traded from the Arizona Cardinals. As a result, he averaged 3.53 seconds to make a throw, compared to Kirk Cousins’ 2.69 seconds prior to his injury.
The run blocking grades are putrid – but again, with a rookie QB in Hall and then a debutant in Dobbs under center, you would figure the Falcons defense would be set up to stuff the run as much as possible to encourage the Vikings’ inexperienced quarterbacks to throw.
On short notice, backup tackle David Quessenberry – replacing injured starter Christian Darrisaw – put on a heck of a performance allowing just one pressure to a Falcons defense that has the fourth-highest pressure rate (25.9-percent) this season. Ed Ingram also had a spectacular day pass blocking allowing just one pressure himself.
O’Neill allowed a team-high four hurries, the most he’s allowed in a single game since Week Four of the 2021 season when allowed four against Cleveland.
On the offense, going up against PFF’s fourth highest graded run defense, the Vikings had their most rushing yards in a game this season – albeit that was mostly Dobbs scrambling for his life.
Alexander Mattison was given his best overall grade of the season while Cam Akers had his second best performance since joining the Vikings. Mattison and Akers rushed for 69 yards on 24 combined carries.
Best offensive grades
- Josh Dobbs 82.5
- Johnny Mundt 80.0
- T.J. Hockenson 74.0
- Cam Akers 68.5
- Alexander Mattison 68.4
While the defense struggled overall, there were some outstanding performances.
Byron Murphy Jr. earned the highest defensive grade of the game for Minnesota, snagging a key interception in the second half to stop a Falcons drive before it could even start. Heinicke registered a 1.2 NFL QB Rating when targeting Murphy, going 2/7 for 23 yards and an interception. Murphy’s 81.2 defensive grade was the best he’s turned in since joining the team this offseason.
Second-year corner Akayleb Evans overall had a decent outing, finishing in the top-five overall defensive grades on the team. Evans’ third quarter forced fumble saw him earn a team-high 88.7 rush defense grade. The 24-year-old continued to struggle in coverage, finishing with a 57.1 grade while allowing Heinicke to go 3/3 for 47 yards when throwing his way.
Safety Camryn Bynum finished the game with a plus-70 overall grade for the fifth time this season, while rookie corner Mekhi Blackmon held his receivers without a catch for the second game in a row.
Top defensive grades
- Byron Murphy Jr 81.2
- Camryn Bynum 75.8
- Danielle Hunter 69.5
- Mekhi Blackmon 66.5
- Akayleb Evans 66.0
While there was some nice play from the secondary, the push rush struggled mightily Sunday, hurrying Heinicke just five times all day and recording one sack. Atlanta has the 10th best pass blocking unit through nine weeks, according to PFF.
