When Dorian Thompson-Robinson made his first start back in Week 4, he looked like a rookie.
The fifth-round pick out of UCLA had to unexpectedly ascend to QB1 when it turned out Deshaun Watson actually couldn’t play against the Ravens due to his shoulder injury.
But now that Watson is out for the season, Thompson-Robinson will get another chance this weekend when the Browns host the Steelers. He’s expecting to deliver a much different result.
“I mean, shoot, I know what to expect now,” Thompson-Robinson said in his Thursday press conference. “Unlike many other people out there, I’ve been in an NFL game. So, I’m not stepping out there for the first time. I know all my keys, all what to look at throughout film, what to watch, who the key players are on their defense and everything now.
“So, I’m not just going out there wide-eyed anymore. I’m going out there with the things to look at, things to focus on, and a plan to be able to attack them.”
Thompson-Robinson added that he’s much better suited to handle the emotions of starting an NFL game this time around.
“I think I said this a couple of weeks ago, it’s going to be night and day,” Thompson-Robinson said. “Just my progression, my maturity, how I’ve handled the week thus far and all the weeks before it — just being able to learn from that first experience, I think, is going to help me a bunch.”
In his first start, Thompson-Robinson went 19-of-36 passing for 121 yards with three interceptions. He admitted that there were moments after that game where his confidence was shaken.
“I mean, yeah, of course,” Thompson-Robinson said. “When you get an opportunity to play and you don’t play up to your standards, then obviously you don’t get the job the next week — it’s frustrating. All those emotions just tend to come up naturally.
“Luckily, I still have a job. I still have to come in this building. I have wonderful teammates and staff that support me and embrace me. And, even when I was confident, they were telling me to be even more confident. So, those guys always push me to be my best every day. So it’s hard not to move past stuff and move on quickly.”
At 6-3, the Browns still have plenty in front of them. Several players expressed on Wednesday that the expectations don’t change with Watson out. Thompson-Robinson agrees with the sentiment.
“I’m glad they said that — because they shouldn’t,” Thompson-Robinson said. “We shouldn’t have a change in mindset, a change in goals. Our goals are still going to be the same whether it’s me, P.J. [Walker], or Deshaun. So, all I can say is I’m glad they didn’t say anything else.”
We’ll see how much Thompson-Robinson has improved when he takes the field against the Steelers on Sunday.
