Has the Josh Dobbs hype train gotten a bit out of control?

Josh Dobbs has been a revelation for the Cardinals after a rocky start in Week 1. But are some folks getting a bit carried away on the Dobbs hype train?

The Josh Dobbs experience has been quite the rollercoaster thus far, hasn’t it? He was basically an unknown when GM Monti Ossenfort acquired him just before the season for a 5^th-round pick. Then he was a pariah after the Week 1 loss to the Commanders when he looked exactly like what you’d expect a journeyman who just joined the team to look.

But since then? He’s been pretty outstanding for our Arizona Cardinals. In the past three games, including that monumental Cowboys upset, he’s gone a combined 66/93 (71%) for 682 yards (7.3 YPA) with a 4:0 TD:INT ratio and a QBR of around 80. He’s also chipped in 144 yards and 1 TD on 21 carries (6.9 YPC). He’s looked much better than anyone could have reasonably expected, and light years better than that poor first showing in Week 1.

That rollercoaster of a journey has been mirrored in articles and discussions around the team, including and especially here on RotB. Some excoriated the trade when it happened, and there was plenty of vitriol in the comments after Week 1. Sentiment is much rosier lately, obviously, but I’m starting to wonder if folks are going a bit overboard in their praise of Josh “The Rocket Scientist” Dobbs.

Do we really think Dobbs is the long-term starter for this team? Do we really?

I don’t mean to pooh-pooh what he’s done, not at all. I’ve enjoyed watching him play as much as the next Cardinals fan. He’s been remarkably efficient and has produced several highlight reel plays. He’s a big part—if not the biggest—of the Cardinals’ surprising start.

But it seems someone around here usually has to be the voice of reason about Cardinals quarterbacks, so let me try to do so again. First it was Josh Rosen, then it was Clayton Tune. Now it’s Josh Dobbs’s turn.

For as good as he’s been, his box score stats aren’t exactly eye-popping: a high of 265 passing yards, no more than 2 TDs in a game, an average YPA. Maybe he doesn’t need huge passing numbers in the Cardinals’ new run-centric offense. I mostly buy that. And he’s been great about avoiding negative plays (no INTs, no lost fumbles after Week 1).

But ask yourself this: Has he been the straw that stirs the drink of the Cardinals’ offense, or has he been more of a highly efficient caretaker? For instance, Walter has James Conner, not Dobbs, as the Cardinals’ offensive MVP so far.

Then ask yourself this: Do you think it is more likely that the Cardinals have unearthed a true diamond in the rough in Dobbs, or that new OC Drew Petzing has created a strong offensive ecosystem where a QB like Dobbs could succeed? Petzing is a rising star in the coaching ranks and is already getting head coach candidate buzz in some circles.

And, finally, ask yourself this: Don’t you want to see what Kyler Murray—former OROY, two-time Pro Bowler, and a more physically talented player than Dobbs—can do in this offense? I find it strange that so many Cardinals fans are ready to move on from Murray already. Or are you already all aboard the Josh Dobbs hype train—hype rocket?—after four games? Will you still be if/when opposing DCs get more film on him and potentially make him look more like the journeyman he has been thus far in his career?

Believe me, I’ll eat my hat—and I like my Cardinals hat—if Dobbs becomes anything more than a solid stopgap before Kyler returns. I’m rooting for him—I honestly am. But I also think the hype has gotten a little out of hand in such a short time. Let’s see if he can keep this up—and if he does, let’s see what the team does when Kyler is ready to return.

Cardinals fans once dreamed about having to choose between Caleb Williams and Kyler Murray as the starter. But what if it’s actually between Josh Dobbs and Kyler Murray? Now THAT would be a good problem to have—no draft picks required. (Not that it looks like we’re going to be drafting as highly as we thought anyway.)

I’ve said my piece, now it’s up to you. You know the drill: vote in the poll, drop a comment, and let’s get a good discussion going.