Maybe it was the simple read option that he ran to perfection to pick up a first down.

Maybe it was the much more flashy scramble near the goal line that saw him escape pressure in the pocket, turn the corner in the open field and leap his way into the end zone.

Maybe it was the dime he dropped over the outstretched arms of a defender for a touchdown that sent the home crowd into oblivion.

Whatever your favorite moment was Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium, something became clear as the Vikings put the finishing touches on a 27-19 victory over the New Orleans Saints.

Josh Dobbs has some juice. The 28-year-old journeyman quarterback proved that last weekend wasn’t a fluke with a very strong performance. He captivated the state of Minnesota in the early stages of Sunday’s game, and while he cooled down as the game progressed, his dominance before halftime was enough.

After both teams traded field goals in the first quarter, Dobbs found his rhythm, helping the Vikings score a touchdown on back-to-back-to-back possessions in the second quarter.

It started with an 11-play, 75-yard drive that saw Dobbs use his legs to create if the moment called for it. A perfect example of that came on a crucial third down during which Dobbs bought time some extra time, kept his eyes downfield, and found tight end T.J. Hockenson with a pass for a big gain.  A couple of plays later, running back Ty Chandler scored off a direct snap to put the Vikings in front 10-3.

The next drive was even more impressive as Dobbs spread the wealth, completing passes to Hockenson, rookie receiver Jordan Addison and veteran receiver Brandon Powell. On the scoring play, however, Dobbs did it himself. He reverse-pivoted out of the pocket, hit the gas to get to the edge, then scampered into the end zone to stretch the Vikings’ lead to 17-3.

As if that wasn’t enough, Dobbs got the ball back once more before halftime, then promptly led the Vikings on a march down the field. It culminated with Dobbs lofting a perfect pass to Hockenson for a 28-yard touchdown that made it 24-3.

After a field goal by kicker Greg Joseph made it 27-3 in favor of the Vikings, the Saints finally got rolling with backup quarterback Jameis Winston leading the charge. Filling in for starter Derek Carr, who was ruled out with a concussion, Winston got the offense firing on cylinders.

The comeback got underway when Winston found receiver Chris Olave in the corner of the end zone to cut the Saints’ deficit to 27-11. It continued when Winston found receiver A.T. Perry in the back of the end zone for a touchdown pass to make it 27-19.

Meanwhile, the Vikings couldn’t get anything going on offense in the second half, with Dobbs unable to string together the big plays that defined the early portion of the game.

No matter. Though he managed to make things interesting down the stretch, Winston threw an interception to cornerback Mekhi Blackmon, then another interception to cornerback Byron Murphy, which effectively ended the game.

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