Journeyman quarterback Joshua Dobbs enjoyed his first career win Sunday, helping lead the Arizona Cardinals to a huge upset victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
It was apropos for the 28-year-old Dobbs' first win as a starter to come against Dallas, the team he made his first career start against last season in Tennessee.
"It was a tremendous full-circle moment because it feels like yesterday, man, I was getting ready for my first start on Thursday night against the Dallas Cowboys," Dobbs said following the 28-16 win, . "So, yeah, it was a great full-circle moment and so it was good to take a moment to enjoy it."
A 2017 fourth-round pick by Pittsburgh, Dobbs has bounced around the NFL, spending time with six different clubs, including two stints with the Steelers and Browns. Last year, after being beset by injury, the Titans signed Dobbs off the Lions' practice squad to start a Week 17 game against Dallas (a 27-13 Titans loss).
Just 269 days after Dobbs made that first career start against Dallas, he helped knock the Cowboys from the ranks of the undefeated.
"I mean, hopefully one of many," he said, "but back to the drawing board tomorrow."
The Cardinals jumped out to a big lead against Dallas on Sunday, taking a 21-10 advantage to halftime. This week, they didn't relent in the second half. After the Cowboys pulled to within five points, Dobbs led a 76-yard touchdown march, highlighted by a bomb to a wide-open Michael Wilson, and culminating with a 2-yard TD toss to Marquise Brown for the game-sealing score.
Dobbs finished 17-of-21 passing for 189 yards and a TD. He's led a plucky Cardinals offense through three weeks and has yet to throw an interception. The Cardinals did much of their damage on the ground Sunday, mashing the Cowboys for 222 rushing yards -- 55 from Dobbs on six carries. It marked the most rush yards for Arizona since Week 6, 2020 -- also versus the Cowboys (ARI won that game, 38-10).
The expectation entering the season was the Cardinals were playing for 2024. Through three games, however, Dobbs and first-year coach Jonathan Gannon have put up a fight. In the first two weeks, the dearth of talent succumbed. But Sunday, Arizona showed it won't be a pushover in 2023.
"Especially when you hear everybody saying, we're going to go 0-and-16," linebacker Kyzir White said. "To get a win against the Cowboys, a great team like that, feel good."
We'll forgive White for forgetting there are now 17 games in a season. The Cardinals might lack the depth to contend this season, but Gannon's group has shown it won't go down without a fight. Sunday's win put opponents on notice to expect a battle in the desert.
