Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah nervously paced around his spot in the press box during a game a couple of weeks ago. He had just acquired journeyman quarterback Josh Dobbs from the Arizona Cardinals at the NFL trade deadline, not at all expecting him to be thrust into action less than a week later.

Yet, there he was filling in under center with the Vikings trying to pull off an improbable comeback win on the road. As the game wound to a close, Dobbs got the ball back with 2 minutes, 8 seconds left, needing to go the length of the field to take the lead. That’s exactly what he did, miraculously scrambling for 22 yards to keep the drive alive, then throwing a touchdown pass that put the Vikings on top for good in a 31-28 win over the Atlanta Falcons.

In that moment, Adofo-Mensah couldn’t contain his excitement, dapping up a few members of the front office before the final seconds ticked off the game clock. That scene could end up defining this season for the Vikings as it kept their hopes alive when the flame could have easily started to flicker.

It’s fair to wonder where the Vikings would be right now had Adofo-Mensah not been so savvy at the trade deadline. They certainly wouldn’t have been able to stomach losing rookie quarterback Jaren Hall to a concussion in Atlanta the way they did, with starting quarterback Kirk Cousins and backup Nick Mullens already out.

The only reason the Vikings are still in a position to compete for a spot in the playoffs is because Adofo-Mensah made sure there was a contingency plan in place. Though he couldn’t have predicted that Dobbs would become the talk of the NFL soon after, Adofo-Mensah knew it was incumbent to bring in a veteran with experience.

All it cost him was a measly swap of late draft picks. Talk about a heist.

The shrewd move from Adofo-Mensah at the trade deadline likely has his haters in shambles. There has been group spitefully praying for his downfall seemingly at every turn.

The underwhelming haul in the 2022 NFL Draft — namely the selection of safety Lewis Cine in the first round — has been the common refrain among those that believe Adofo-Mensah has no idea what he’s doing.

That couldn’t be further from the truth.

Those not blinded by their own agenda would see that Adofo-Mensah has skillfully navigated the “competitive rebuild” he set into motion when he got hired on Jan. 26, 2022.

There are going to be swings and misses along the way. That comes with the territory of trying to hit a home run.

On that note, the decision to acquire Dobbs at the trade deadline this season, and the decision to acquire tight end T.J. Hockenson at the trade deadline last season, might as well go down as grand slams.

Fittingly, those two players helped lead the Vikings to a 27-19 win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Neither performance can be overstated, as Dobbs threw for 268 yards and a touchdown and ran for 44 yards and a touchdown, while Hockenson played through a rib injury to make 11 catches for 134 yards and a touchdown.

As impressive as Dobbs and Hockenson were, however, with the mastermind behind their arrivals watching from above, the haters were probably stuck on the fact that Cine stood on the sideline as a healthy scratch.

There a number of other examples that prove Adofo-Mensah has a good pulse on things with the Vikings. He parted ways last winter with some players who were fan favorites, which has allowed younger players to flourish. He selected rookie receiver Jordan Addison late in the first round of this year’s draft, which looks like a steal in hindsight. He opted not to extend Cousins last summer, which helped keep the books clean moving forward.

All of it has worked out.

It’s pretty clear that Adofo-Mensah has the Vikings headed in the right direction. The franchise is 19-8 since he took over, for crying out loud.  It’s time to give the man the respect he has earned.

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