This morning, the Cleveland Browns made the shocking announcement that QB Deshaun Watson would need season-ending shoulder surgery. Later in the day, other surprising news came out of Cleveland. Head coach Kevin Stefanski announced that Dorian Thompson-Robinson would start at quarterback on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, instead of P.J. Walker, who had started two games and played in five for the Browns this season.
While Thompson-Robinson, a rookie out of UCLA, started in Week Four against the Baltimore Ravens, he went just 19-of-36 for 121 yards and three interceptions in a 28-3 loss. With Pittsburgh having a plus-10 turnover margin this year, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski emphasized the importance for Thompson-Robinson to not be careless with the football but also be confident enough to play carefree.
“I think you can play this game a certain way where you are playing carefree, but you’re not being careless. You have to take care of the ball. We know that turnover stat is the most important thing that drives winning and losing. I know Pittsburgh is tied for the league [lead] in plus-10 turnover margin. They’ve taken care of the ball. They haven’t given it away very much and they’ve had a lot of takeaways. So we get that. We understand that’s part of this game. And every game moving forward is taking care of the ball,” Stefanski said via transcripts provided by the Browns.
The Steelers have been able to avoid turning the ball over, with QB Kenny Pickett not throwing an interception since Week Four. Their defense has been opportunistic, and that was also the case against Cleveland in Week Two. The Steelers had two defensive touchdowns, one off a fumble and one off an interception on the first play from scrimmage. If Pittsburgh can generate pressure and force Thompson-Robinson to take a few gambles that don’t pay off and rattle the young signal-caller, it should be in good shape.
While Thompson-Robinson struggled in his first start and was turnover-prone, he also didn’t know he was going to be playing until the morning before the game. He was thrown into the proverbial fire, but with him being named the starter on Wednesday morning, he has a full week of practice to prepare as a starter. That’s something Stefanski said is going to be important to get him ready to go from the opening snap.
“I think this week, having a full week of preparation, knowing that he’s going to be the starter, I think is important. Every backup will tell you [that], and it’s the truth,” Stefanski said. “They have to be ready to go after the first play. After the second play, if the starter needs a shoelace, you have to be ready to go. So he’s prepared himself all season, just felt like this was the right thing for the team.”
There can’t be any adjustment period for Thompson-Robinson against the Steelers’ defense. With an offensive line that’s also going to be down potentially both of its starting tackles, the Browns and Thompson-Robinson have to get into a rhythm and not let T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith impact the game. Having a full week to prepare for Pittsburgh should benefit the rookie quarterback.
While the news of Watson going down shifted the betting odds in Pittsburgh’s favor, Sunday feels like it’s going to be a classic AFC North slugfest. Both the Steelers and the Browns will look to rely on their run game, and both boast defenses that can make plays and turn the tide of the game. With the game being played in Cleveland, the Browns can’t be written off, even with the unproven Thompson-Robinson under center.
