The 6-3 Browns won’t have Deshaun Watson for the rest of the season. On Sunday, they’ll start the post-Watson era with rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson as the starting quarterback.
Via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Thompson-Robinson is expected to get the nod.
That plan will become even more apparent later today, after word trickles out as to the quarterback who received the first-team reps in practice on Wednesday.
The fifth-round rookie from UCLA started the Week 4 game against the Ravens. It didn’t go well; he completed 17 of 30 passes for 130 yards, no touchdowns, and three interceptions in a 28-3 loss. P.J. Walker thereafter became the primary backup to Watson, starting two games — including a win over the 49ers.
Prior to Cleveland’s Week 8 loss at Seattle, Cabot asked Thompson-Robinson what would be different if/when he starts again.
“Night and day,” he said. “It’ll be a clear difference. I finally got my feet wet. I know what to do. I know what to study when I go out there.”
There’s another wrinkle to consider. Even though Thompson-Robinson had prepared to play against the Ravens in Week 4, he did not believe he’d be playing. Watson had consistently said he’d play, despite a shoulder injury. Thompson-Robinson, along with everyone else, was surprised when it was determined on game day that Watson wasn’t playing.
This time around, Thompson-Robinson gets the full week to get ready, with no doubt or uncertainty as to whether he’ll play.