DTR sends a strong message about second chances as the Browns’ starting pitcher.
Cleveland Browns backup quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson has been outstanding during the preseason.
Then in Week 4, Deshaun Watson went down with a shoulder injury and the Baltimore Ravens came to town.
It was a rookie hit. He took it and made a balloon.
Thompson-Robinson had 121 passing yards and three interceptions as the Ravens outshot the Browns 28-3.
The coaching staff has seen enough, at least for now, and third-string quarterback P.J. Walker came on for Watson and Thompson-Robinson came on the bench.
It might have been the 24-year-old’s signal-caller, but Walker dealt with his problems and Thompson-Robinson returned to action after Watson’s shoulder deteriorated and required end-of-season surgery.
season.
The rookie starts Week 11 when Cleveland hosts the Pittsburgh Steelers and said Thursday, Nov. 16, that things will be different this time around.
“Now I know what to expect.
“Unlike a lot of people, I’ve been to an NFL game before, so it’s not my first time,” Thompson-Robinson said.
“So I don’t go there with my eyes anymore.
I go there with something to see, something to focus on and a plan to deal with it.”
If Walker’s tenure in Cleveland this year tells us anything, it’s that Thompson-Robinson doesn’t have to be perfect for the Browns to win games.
Walker completed less than 50% of his passes and had one TD-5 INT in five appearances, including two starts.
He played the majority of the team’s snaps in the three games Cleveland posted a 2-1 record.
If Thompson-Robinson can play competently, the Browns’ highly touted defense and secondary will be enough to keep Cleveland on the table for nearly all of the remaining games. Based on the rookie’s impressions on Thursday, we expect him to show a more capable and superior performance in the second round.
“Like I said, after the first lap, all the rust and stuff was gone,” Thompson-Robinson said.
“I think I said it a few weeks ago, it’s like night and day.
It happens day and night.
My progress, my growth, how I spent the weeks leading up to this point.
“You only have the opportunity to learn from that first experience.”
An underappreciated element of Thompson-Robinson’s early career struggles, which began months ago, was that he didn’t know he would be starting against the Ravens until just hours before the game.
Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said Thursday that the practice time this week, which was announced before Watson’s absence, will be a big help for Thompson-Robinson.
“I think he’s realized now that it’s not that he didn’t think he was going to play the last time, it’s that he’s going to start on Sunday,” Van Pelt said.
“There are no excuses, but you have to prepare all week.
This is most important. I thought he did a great job executing the plan from Tuesday night to Wednesday night. He was great about calling the game yesterday.
… So it will help him prepare for the week knowing that it starts on Sunday.”
