Dorian Thompson-Robinson wants his UCLA swagger back for re-start against Steelers
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Takeaways from Browns practice and interviews …
If Dorian Thompson-Robinson is as comfortable on the field Sunday as he is behind a microphone, the Browns will be fine Sunday in their next “must-win” game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
DTR spoke freely to the daily media flock about the “night and day” difference between his last-minute starting assignment on October 1 against the Baltimore Ravens and this one. He implied he felt more pressure in that NFL debut than this assignment, even though the stakes are so much higher now.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson is comfortable in front of cameras. He wants to be as comfortable behind center in his second career start. (TheLandOnDemand)
“Just my progression, the maturity, how I’ve handled the week this far and all the weeks before. Just being able to learn from that first experience,” he said.
DTR tossed three interceptions in that baptism-by-fire against the Ravens, a 28-3 rout that the Browns were able to avenge in Baltimore last week.
He admitted his confidence was shaken as he was displaced the following week by practice squad call-up P.J. Walker.
“Yeah, of course,” he said. “When you get an opportunity to play, you don’t play up to your standards and then obviously you don’t get the job the next week, it’s frustrating. All those emotions tend to come up just naturally. But luckily, like I said, I still have a job."I’m still able to come into this building and I have wonderful teammates and staff that support me and embrace me. And even when I was confident, they’re 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.”
DTR was told he would replace fallen Deshaun Watson on Tuesday afternoon – “my [24th] birthday” -- as coaches began writing a game plan to suit him.
Everyone knows limiting turnovers is the absolute minimum demanded of DTR Sunday against Pittsburgh. He said coaches, though, are avoiding harping on the subject.
“The biggest thing they said is we’re going to coach you hard on your feet, we’re going to coach you hard on your progressions, going to coach you hard on your run checks. If you just follow your rules, you’ll be all right. We’ll win this game,” Thompson-Robinson said.
“If you tell somebody not to think of an elephant, you go think of an elephant, right? So, I’m not going to go out there, think about throwing picks and think about not throwing picks or fumbles or anything like that. I’m going to think about going out there playing my game, watch a couple games of mine from UCLA, get that swagger back and let’s go out there and play some football.”
I asked him what’s his favorite UCLA game he’ll tune in.
“I mean, it’s SC [rival Southern California] week right now, so I’m a big SC fan guy to watch.”
So, which one?
“2021, USC. Beat them 62 to 33. And in that game, too, I started off pretty slow,” he said.
DTR tossed two interceptions in the first quarter then turned the day around into his signature game at UCLA. He threw for 349 yards and four touchdowns and ran for two more.
Tomlin’s record
Thompson-Robinson has the chance to join a select group. The Steelers have faced rookie quarterbacks 29 times in 17 seasons under coach Mike Tomlin. Only five have emerged victorious.
Tomlin’s 24 wins against rookie QBs is second to Bill Belichick’s 25. Tomlin’s win percentage of .827 currently ranks first among coaches since 1970. Miami’s Don Shula is second (19-4. 826). Belichick is fifth in win percentage at .758 (25-8).
The five rookie quarterbacks who’ve defeated Tomlin’s Steelers? Houston’s C.J. Stroud this year, Dallas’ Dak Prescott (2016), Philadelphia’s Carson Wentz (2016), Cleveland’s Brandon Weeden (2012) and Baltimore’s Troy Smith (2007).
Van Pelt’s take
It surprised many that the Browns turned to Thompson-Robinson to replace Watson in such a critical game.Walker was the starting QB in the upset win over the then-undefeated 49ers. He relieved Watson after one quarter in Indianapolis and put together the winning drive in an officials-aided 39-38 win over the Colts. Walker’s tenure ended with a game-deciding interception in Seattle – his sixth turnover in three games.
Still, Walker’s turnover rate of two per game was less than DTR’s three.
I asked offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt why the choice of DTR over Walker against the Steelers.
“Just felt like Dorian – if you take out any averages of the curve, right, you take out the best game, you take out the worst game, there’s still a lot of good football,” he said. “We felt that DTR has put on tape throughout the preseason as well. Understanding the fact that getting thrown into it last time the way he did, maybe it’s a mulligan deserved, lessons learned for him and then we’ll move out. But we’re excited to have him starting this week and expect him to step in and take care of the football and do some of the things he didn’t do last time. I think he’ll learn from that.”
Brownie bits
Denzel Ward was none the worse for the wear of a cheap shot helmet hit by Baltimore offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley while Ward was dragging down Zay Flowers after a catch in the first quarter. Ward cleared a concussion evaluation but left the game with a neck injury. He’s OK now. Stanley probably will be notified of a fine by the NFL on Friday. “I kind of felt it was a little cheap shot,” Ward said. “He got me. I felt it was an unnecessary hit and probably could have been a penalty on the play, but it’s football, stuff happens, so it’s all good.” …
Right tackle Dawand Jones returned to practice after missing the Baltimore game with a knee injury. Jones was limited, but it’s a positive sign he could be back for the Steelers game. If so, the Browns have to decide their left tackle position between James Hudson, who hasn’t made an NFL start there, and Geron Christian, who was solid in his Browns debut against the Ravens. Onward, Christian …
James Proche’s muffed punt in Baltimore won’t cost him his job. “He hasn’t shown me any reason to have lost confidence in him,” special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone said. “His practice reps have been really good. He’s been really good in his career. He’s been a sure-handed guy and unfortunately for us in that situation, he didn’t make a great decision and it looked like he kind of got caught in between when he wasn’t sure what he was going to do and we put the ball on the ground, so I have confidence in him.”
