placeholder image

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports


Is new 49ers backup QB Josh Dobbs an upgrade over Sam Darnold?

Marc Adams
Mar 24, 2024 at 2:45 PM

Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.

In 2022, the San Francisco 49ers seemed to have an embarrassment of riches at the quarterback spot. They had second-year player, and first-year starter Trey Lance, who they had traded the world away to draft. They had Jimmy Garoppolo, the team's starting QB from late 2017-2021, as Lance's backup. And they had a seventh-round draft pick in Brock Purdy, though he would be unlikely to play. Or so we thought.

After Lance and Garoppolo went down, Purdy surprised everyone by keeping the ship afloat and leading the 49ers back to the NFC Championship Game. But after an injury to the UCL in his throwing arm, Purdy's 2023 season was in jeopardy. Which quarterbacks the 49ers would take to training camp was now even more important. They still had Lance, but they added Brandon Allen and former first-round draft pick, Sam Darnold, to be there in case Purdy wasn't able to recover.

Purdy recovered so well that the 49ers decided to trade Lance to the Dallas Cowboys before the regular season began. The team was set at QB, with Purdy, Darnold, and Allen. But the big question was, what happens if Purdy goes down again? Can Darnold, who had struggled in his previous seasons, lead the team back to the playoffs and beyond?

Fortunately for the 49ers, Purdy stayed healthy, leading his team back to the postseason and Super Bowl LVIII. If not for a fluke special teams play, and a couple of missed blocks, he may have been the first 49ers signal-caller to win a championship since Steve Young.

And though things worked out at the position in 2023, there was always the fear that Darnold would be forced to play. The much-maligned former New York Jets QB has thrown 56 interceptions in his six seasons, not to mention many lost fumbles. He's also been sacked 149 times.

49ers fans did not want to see Darnold play for any extended period. And can you blame them? With a history of turnovers like Darnold has, it makes it extraordinarily difficult to win games.

But Darnold has moved on, signing with the Minnesota Vikings in free agency. The guy who finished the season as Minnesota's QB? Joshua Dobbs, who the 49ers recently signed to be Purdy's primary backup.

So with Darnold and Dobbs swapping teams, it only seems reasonable to ask if Dobbs is an upgrade over Darnold. Certainly, he's not, as far as raw talent goes. But is he an upgrade in the sense that you feel better about having to win a few games with him if Purdy were to go down?

Dobbs doesn't have the great arm talent that Darnold has. And he hasn't played as much as last season's backup. But Dobbs has some tools that may give him the edge over Darnold.

For starters, Dobbs is a better all-around athlete. He can use his legs in a way that Darnold can't, whether it's keeping a play alive or picking up a first down by running the ball. Dobbs has a career average of 5.5 yards per carry. To put that in perspective, Justin Fields averages 6.2 yards per carry in his career. Purdy has a career average of 2.6 yards per attempt. Darnold's career average is 3.6.

Dobbs is not simply a quarterback who takes off running, though. As he scrambles, he still looks to make plays in the passing game but is a threat to run when he has to. Darnold can do that, as well. But not like Dobbs can.

Last season, when Dobbs was with the Arizona Cardinals, he played against the 49ers. And he was pesky, passing for 265 and two touchdowns to go along with 48 yards rushing on 12 carries. His QB rating against the 49ers was 102.2, showing that he's more than just a running quarterback.

Although Dobbs' Cardinals were overmatched against the 49ers, the QB kept his team in the game, and late in the third quarter, pulled Arizona to within five points before Purdy and company finally put the game away. The 49ers won 35-16, but Dobbs kept the Cardinals in the game.

Another reason Dobbs may be an upgrade over Darnold is his mind. That's not to suggest Darnold isn't smart, but Dobbs is extremely bright. Last season, Dobbs started a game for the Cardinals, and then the following week, after being traded to Minnesota, passed for 158 yards and two touchdowns (101.8 QB rating) in his first game with the Vikings. He also rushed for 66 yards and one touchdown, on seven carries.

To change teams, and in only a few days, be able to learn a new offense and new teammates and still win a game on the road, is not something just anyone can do. It displays how bright Dobbs is. Darnold would have been lost in a situation like that and likely would have turned the ball over multiple times.

This is not to say Dobbs is without flaws. He has his share. Dobbs was benched later in the season when he threw four interceptions in a game against the Chicago Bears and wasn't much better a week later against the Las Vegas Raiders. Dobbs did not play the final four games of the season.

So Dobbs isn't going to be any threat to unseat Purdy, but he will be a good backup the 49ers can trust to come in and win a few games if he needs to. And that might make him an upgrade over Darnold.

The opinions within this article are those of the writer and, while just as important, are not necessarily those of the site as a whole.
Enjoy this article? Follow us to never miss more!

Powered by Follow.it


Comments

More San Francisco 49ers News

placeholder image

49ers Notebook: George Kittle's dazzling touchdown catch; Brock Purdy, dual-threat quarterback; Sam Okuayinonu's amazing journey; Bosa's quick-footed performance

By Kirk Larrabee
Sep 29

The mood in the 49ers locker room was decidedly upbeat following their 30-13 home win over the New England Patriots on Sunday. That comes as no surprise, considering how badly the 49ers needed a win after two consecutive disappointing road losses to the Minnesota Vikings and...


placeholder image

Recap: 49ers bounce back from consecutive losses with decisive 30-13 win over Patriots

By Kirk Larrabee
Sep 29

After a two-game road stretch that included rough losses to the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams, a home matchup with the lowly New England Patriots on Sunday proved to be exactly what the San Francisco 49ers needed to get moving in the right direction. The 49ers...


placeholder image

Steve Young: 49ers QB Brock Purdy is setting a new standard

By David Bonilla
Oct 3

After Brock Purdy's impressive rookie season, many questioned the San Francisco 49ers quarterback's ceiling and whether his standout play was sustainable. Two seasons later, Purdy is still performing at a high level and is on track for another record-breaking campaign. Hall of...


placeholder image

49ers mailbag: Why was the defensive line so much better against New England? How will SF fix special teams? Why not use Trent Taylor to return punts?

By Marc Adams
Oct 3

The next four games are big ones for the San Francisco 49ers. They have two divisional games with the Arizona Cardinals (in Santa Clara) and Seattle Seahawks (in Seattle). After that, they face the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys (both at home). All four games will not...


Latest

Trending News

Share 49ersWebzone