NASHVILLE – It’s not easy being a backup quarterback. Joshua Dobbs can attest to that.
The veteran wants to play. He’ll also never root for his teammate, in this case Drake Maye, to suffer an injury so he can play.
On Sunday, Dobbs went through several emotions in the Patriots win over the Tennessee Titans. The backup quarterback was inserted into the game in the third quarter when Maye was taken off the field due to the NFL’s concussion protocol.
In that moment, Dobbs got his wish. After three snaps, he was also happy to hear the crowd cheering – even when it meant he was coming out of the game and Maye was going back in.
“Just understanding the situation and what we’ve got to do to continue to execute, keep the drive going,” Dobbs said. “Drake had been playing a great game, obviously, so just go in there and try to pick up where he left off. Then to hear the cheers and everything with him coming back on the field was really good to make sure that he was OK.”
The Patriots went into halftime with a 17-13 lead. They opened the third quarter with Maye dicing up the Titans’ secondary.
The quarterback completed back-to-back big passes for 24 yards (to Stefon Diggs) and 27 yards (to Mack Hollins) to get the offense into scoring range. On the next play, Maye ran out of the pocket when he was whipped to the ground. The quarterback hit the back of his head and then did a backward somersault.
That caused the referee to remove Maye from the field so he could be checked for a concussion.
Dobbs was inserted into the game during that important drive. On third down, he was nearly sacked before escaping and connecting with DeMario Douglas for a 12-yard gain.
“I thought Pop did a great job on his route. I was able to move in the pocket. Good time from the o-line,” Dobbs said. “Pop got open and was able to keep the chains moving. Something that we had practiced several times.”
Dobbs played three snaps while Maye was in the blue medical tent. After the starter cleared the concussion protocol, he came back on the field with fans cheering.
“Always be ready for your opportunity to go in and execute,” Dobbs said. “When it comes, just like you execute in practice, execute in the game.”
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