Patriots Backup QB Making Most of Limited Opportunities
When the New England Patriots signed Joshua Dobbs in March, the idea scenario would have the free agent be a valuable mentor for young quarterback Drake Maye. On paper, the best-case scenario wouldn’t involve Dobbs on the field, unless it’s in mop up duty in a blowout win. In the team’s victory against the Tennessee Titans in Week 7, Dobbs was thrust into action after Maye was evaluated for a concussion.
On his lone passing attempt, Dobbs made an immediate impact, avoiding numerous tackles in the backfield before firing a strike to DeMario Douglas across his body for a first down. That conversion, along with how he’s handled himself in the facility, has won over his head coach.
“I've enjoyed being around him,” Mike Vrabel said this week. “He's a professional, he understands, I think he's good for the quarterback, good for Drake (Maye), good for Tommy (DeVito), and he's prepared. As much as we've talked about those practices on Thursday or our red zone on Friday, that those are competitive reps for everybody, I think that those have been great reps for Josh and Tommy to get during the season.”
Maye agrees, saying this week that having Dobbs complete that play on third down was electric — even though he could only hear it from inside the blue medical tent.
"He Made The Play Of The Day"
“Credit to Dobbs,” Maye said. “He made the play of the day. He came in, evaded a sack, and threw a dime. It was good to see that. From the blue tent, I was looking through the top of the blue tent and saw it."
“I heard a reaction, a cheer,” Maye added. “What a catch. I saw it on the Jumbotron after. That was a sweet play.”
Dobbs’ first year in New England comes just as Maye crescendos into one of the league’s top signal callers. That doesn’t mean that Dobbs is pouting on the sideline. Instead, Vrabel says their backup has only helped himself in how he conducts himself on the practice field.
“You just don't get a whole lot of reps, and so you have to use those as your preparation reps and your game reps to read it out,” Vrabel said. “That's why we're not highlighting somebody and saying, ‘Throw the ball here.’ Throw the ball to the guy that's open and play quarterback. We don't want to practice like that and say this is what they're going to do. We don't know what they're going to do. So, I think those reps that he has in practice really help him. And again, it's good to see that he was prepared last week to go in, execute and help us.”
Tyron Smith Development Emerges During Cowboys Season
Jerry Jones watched on as his Dallas Cowboys jumped to 3-3-1 under first-year coach Brian Schottenheimer, defeating Dan Quinn and the Washington Commanders 44-22 in Week 7 of the 2025 NFL season. Now, the Cowboys turn their focus to Week 8, hitting the road to take on Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos.
Dak Prescott has been one of the NFL’s better quarterbacks through seven games despite multiple injuries along the offensive line. Even left tackle Tyler Guyton was forced to miss a game after suffering a concussion. The 2024 first-round pick has shown promise at the left tackle position, with many hoping he can eventually live up to the future Hall of Famer he replaced.
Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith (77).Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Tyron Smith established himself as one of the best offensive linemen in NFL history during his 13 seasons with the Cowboys. A five-time All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowler, he anchored the line while protecting quarterbacks such as Prescott and Tony Romo. After a string of injuries hampered his final years in Dallas, Smith signed with the Jets for the 2024 season before retiring in April 2025.
And on Friday, Smith made his return to football, joining the East-West Shrine Bowl as an offensive line coaching advisor. The college all-star game, showcasing some of the NFL's top prospects, will notably be held at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, the home of the Cowboys.
"BIG NEWS," East-West Shrine Bowl wrote on X. "Tyron Smith, 5x All-Pro and 8x Pro Bowler, is joining the East-West Shrine Bowl as an Offensive Line Coaching Advisor this year! We’re excited to have our offensive linemen working with a future hall of famer all week long #ShrineBowlWHOSNEXT"
BIG NEWS
Tyron Smith, 5x All-Pro and 8x Pro Bowler, is joining the East-West Shrine Bowl as an Offensive Line Coaching Advisor this year! We’re excited to have our offensive linemen working with a future hall of famer all week long 💪#ShrineBowlWHOSNEXT pic.twitter.com/XWURGbC6MS — East-West Shrine Bowl (@ShrineBowl) October 24, 2025
While Smith prepares for the upcoming Shrine Bowl on Jan. 27, 2026, the Cowboys get ready for their Week 8 matchup against the Broncos on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET.
