BEREA, Ohio — Dorian Thompson-Robinson is going back to a familiar role on Sunday — backing up Jameis Winston, who will make his first start for the Browns this week when they host the Ravens.
“Obviously I want to be the guy every week to help lead this team, but at the end of the day, I know my role,” Thompson-Robinson said on Friday. “I know the situation I’m in with my hand. So like I said, I’m willing to help the team do anything we can to get our win on Sunday, and that’s my main focus right now.”
Thompson-Robinson was the surprise backup last week to Deshaun Watson and was forced into action late in the first half after Watson ruptured his Achilles on a quarterback draw. The second-year signal-caller out of UCLA completed 11 of 24 passes for 82 yards and threw two interceptions and added 44 yards on three carries.
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He also hurt the middle finger on his throwing hand during the game and his status for this game was up in the air early in the week. He said he thinks it happened when he hit it on a helmet, but wasn’t entirely certain.
“I don’t know if that’s what caused the injury,” he said, “but, yeah, at the end of the game I looked down after that pick and it was just dangling around.”
Head coach Kevin Stefanski indicated on Monday they were going to get some more testing done on the finger before making any decisions, but by Friday, Thompson-Robinson had shown enough to be available if the Browns need him.
“He looked good to me,” Stefanski said.
“It felt really good. Felt really good,” Thompson-Robinson said. “I threw on Tuesday morning with the trainers to be able to get cleared for practice and stuff. Felt really good, comfortable with it, being able to hold onto the ball, push the ball with power down the field. Me and Jameis threw some go balls on I think Wednesday after practice, was able to rip it all the way down the field, put the ball where I wanted in a different spot. So I feel pretty confident going into the week.”
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He said he’ll tape it up for Sunday but won’t have any other protection on the finger.
The decision to demote Winston last week to emergency quarterback and make Thompson-Robinson the backup could have been an indication Thompson-Robinson would take over as the starter in a post-Watson world, but Stefanski stood by the idea it was more of a game plan decision and he named Winston his starter on Wednesday, the same day he announced he was turning play-calling over to offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey.
Thompson-Robinson, 24, appeared in eight games during his rookie season and started three. He completed 53.6% of his passes for 440 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions. His opportunities during his career have come in strange circumstances. He was a last-minute starter against Baltimore last season after a pregame workout by Watson, who was dealing with the start of his shoulder injury, didn’t go well.
The fifth-round pick started back-to-back games against Pittsburgh and Denver but was unable to finish the Broncos game after a vicious hit by Broncos linebacker Baron Browning landed him in the concussion protocol.
He went on IR after Week 16 with a hip injury, preventing him from getting an opportunity to potentially start in Week 18 against the Bengals, when the Browns rested their starters.
That sort of inconsistency is how things go for a backup quarterback and Thompson-Robinson has learned the hard way how to handle a position that offers few practice reps and is more about waiting for the next chance than seizing it.
“At the end of the day, it’s the life of a backup,” he said. “Whether you get all the reps or not, you’ve still got to be prepared. That’s why I’m always in Jameis’ ear. I’m always in Coach Stefanski and Coach Dorsey’s ear and (offensive assistant/quarterbacks coach) Ashton (Grant), trying to make sure I have every little detail locked in throughout the week. So like I said, if my opportunity presents itself, however it does, I’m as ready as possible.”
With the Browns 1-6 and their chances of making the playoffs all but dashed, the rest of this season will be about getting answers. Once the Nov. 5 trade deadline clears and they come back from their bye week, the future will be the focus and finding out exactly who Thompson-Robinson is, especially given consistent weeks to go through the process of being the starting quarterback, will be one of their priorities.
Maybe they already know, but in a season that has mostly raised questions, they at least will have time to find out for certain.
Thompson-Robinson, for his part, wants another shot to lead the offense.
“Me and (Dorsey) and Stefanski have had those conversations,” he said. “I’m coming in with my same routine, coming in here ready to work, building my resume throughout the week, be able to play on Sunday and doing everything I can to make sure I’m ready.”
It’s something that likely isn’t easy for a player who started 48 games in college, including all 24 games in his final two seasons, but it’s his reality for now. It has prepared him to be ready the next time his number is called, whether it’s to start or to enter in relief off the sideline.
“The situations that I was thrown into, I think I now have a foundation to start from and not just going in there cold,” he said, “and actually knowing how to handle situations that I’ve been given.”