Journeyman backup Dobbs puts good work to film
It was a rags-to-riches story that didn’t quite have a fairytale ending.
Former University of Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs, who toiled in obscurity during his first five seasons in the National Football League, led the Tennessee Titans into a showdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday, Jan. 7, after nearly defeating a playoff-bound Dallas Cowboys team in his first start the week before.
Dobbs and the Titans nearly snapped a long losing streak and claimed another AFC South division championship, as, for three quarters, the Titans were right where they wanted to be. Tennessee had a 16-10 lead in hostile North Florida territory and appeared poised to win another divisional crown.
But it didn’t last.
Dobbs threw a crucial second-half interception and lost a late fumble, and Jacksonville took advantage of those miscues to come back and nab a 20-16 victory.
Despite not having a storybook ending, Dobbs’ 2022-23 campaign (like his entire NFL career) was a story of perseverance, and his errors were not his fault alone.
With a makeshift offensive line, Dobbs interception came after a hurry and also after a holding call had negated a huge Derrick Henry run and put the Titans behind the sticks. On the fumble, Dobbs was blindsided when edge rusher Josh Allen rushed untouched to create the turnover that resulted in a scoop and score, ultimately the difference in the game.
Dobbs will never be enshrined in Canton, and he could’ve given up on his NFL dream years ago and gone into the aerospace industry. He went through things this season alone that lesser people couldn’t or wouldn’t endure. He was on three different rosters during the recently completed regular season, having opened the year in Cleveland only to be released when Deshaun Watson came back from a league-imposed suspension. From there, it was off to Detroit where Dobbs remained on the practice squad for two weeks before being signed by the Titans.
Dobbs was originally selected by the Steelers as a fourth-round draft pick in 2017. He remained in the Iron City from 2017-2019 as a backup to Ben Roethlisberger. Dobbs then played for the Jags in 2019 before returning to Pittsburgh (2020-21).
Before the last two games of this season, Dobbs had never started a regular-season game in the league. He didn’t see any action during his time in Cleveland, and he was inactive for one game in Detroit after being promoted from the practice squad. But when he was signed by the Titans on Dec. 21, he made two starts during his 17 total days in Nashville.
Dobbs made his first career start against Dallas on Dec. 29 without most of his weapons, as head coach Mike Vrabel opted to rest his starters against the Cowboys in what was a meaningless game with regard to the playoff chase. However, the quarterback held his own, going 20-for-39 for 232 yards and throwing one touchdown pass and one interception in a 27-13 loss at Nissan Stadium. He didn’t get much help from his teammates, as there were several dropped passes, which steered the narrative during crucial moments. He also had three carries for 12 yards.
In the season finale, Dobbs went 20-for-29 against the Jags, with a few drops mixed in yet again, amassing 179 yards. He also rushed for 32 yards on five carries. His effort just wasn’t enough to propel the Titans over the hump against Jacksonville (9-8), which swept the Titans during the season and eliminated Tennessee from playoff contention after winning the second meeting.
Dobbs’ NFL future is uncertain, but in an era where many QBs are getting benched to see what teams have in their backups, Dobbs proved that he can be counted on in a pinch. General managers and coaches surely will consider what Dobbs did in just a matter of days and also what he could be capable of with a normal amount of preparation. He never was as good in practice as he was in games during his time at UT, and the same may be the case on the next level, too.
Dobbs kept the Titans alive in a must-win game, and the team had been bitten by the injury bug. And despite losing in his two starts, he performed admirably in tough circumstances. If the Titans decided he gave them a better chance than Malik Willis, the QB they picked in the third round of the 2022 draft, to win with just a few days in the locker room, that must say something about Dobbs’ ability. Many teams in the NFL seemingly could do much worse than to have him on the roster as their top backup.
Dobbs, always a fan favorite on Rocky Top, was a full-time starter for two seasons with the Volunteers as UT won a combined 18 games (including wins over Georgia, Florida and a pair of bowl games).
