Rookie QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson struggled in starting debut
With the news that QB Deshaun Watson would be out for Sunday’s game with the shoulder injury, backup rookie QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson earned his first start.
Thompson-Robinson preps each week like he is going to take the field. That process allows him to be prepared for any situation that could arise. Yet, when he heard he was getting the start, there was a level of excitement to take the field, especially because he didn’t play in the first three games of the regular season.
But the rookie’s debut wasn’t as smooth as they would have hoped. He threw 19-of-36 for 73 net yards and three interceptions. The Browns had to punt on eight of their 13 offensive possessions.
“I tried to force some,” Thompson-Robinson said. “All the picks, all force plays. Obviously, the last play of the game is the last play of the game. But those other two, you feel at times that you want to press, and you want to rush, and you want to try and score as fast as possible with how the game is going. And those are the times where you really have to lock in on your job and your job only. And those two times prior the last play game, I didn’t do that.”
Watson was on the sideline throughout the game, talking with Thompson-Robinson in between offensive possessions. Thompson-Robinson said that Watson was helping him see the other side of the field when he had to look elsewhere because of pressure. Watson passed along different details that he noticed, which Thompson-Robinson said helped him out later in the game taking more checkdowns.
Yet, Thompson-Robinson knows there are many different facets of his game to clean up to be ready as the backup quarterback for the Browns. But he sees the value of getting in-game reps and being able to look at the film from Sunday’s game to help him improve.
Thompson-Robinson wants to prove to the Browns and his teammates though, that he can be the backup quarterback for Watson.
“That’s the reason why I’m most frustrated,” Thompson-Robinson said. “This organization, this team, everybody from the draft process on up has put their faith into me, especially being the number two. And today was not it. Today is not what the picture of a number two quarterback should look like. So that’s why I said it’s a collective thing. It’s not just one or two people, one or two positions. This is all me as well as everybody else in the group. But a lot of that goes to me because I touch the ball every play. And so, there’s, like I said, just a lot I have to clean up, so I’ll leave it at that.”
