QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson (10.1.23)
Can you sum up how you feel you played out there today?
“Yeah, got the first one out the way. A lot to clean up from my standpoint, just making sure that I can do everything I can possible. I know that there were times when I forced the ball, and tried to make a play. Even though it feels like that point in the game where you kind of need to, you still have to be able to go through your process, go through your reads, and make sure that you’re getting the ball to the right guy. And on those three times, I did not, even though the last one was last play of the game.”
Dorian, you always talk about the speed of the game. Was there a distinct difference between the speed you saw of the game, how fast the game was going in the preseason and this afternoon?
“I mean, not really. Yeah, guys are fast and all that stuff. I say you really got to know your job because those guys know their job really well on the other side of the ball. And that’s kind of the difference maker at the end of the day from the quarterback position in preseason till now. So, again, that’s my first time out there. We got some things to clean up and speed of the game being one of them.”
From everything we had heard from Deshaun (Watson) and other people, it really seems like he fully intended to play. He was going to get out there, he was going to try to do this. So is that what you thought was going to happen or did you not know when you came to the stadium today how this was going to go?
“I prep every day like I’m playing. I prep every day like Deshaun’s not in the building, even though I’m asking him a bunch of questions. You know, just so happened that this week Deshaun was hurt and I had to take most of the practice reps. But at the end of the day, this is Deshaun’s team, so I’m doing everything I can to make sure I fulfill my role in helping this team win.”
Is it disheartening at all for this to be the result of your first start?
“Nobody likes losing, especially me. I’m a big winner and that’s what everybody was hoping for today, including myself. So, like I said, we got a lot to clean up. I have a lot to clean up. Going out there for the first time and now actually getting some tape to watch on myself to see what I need to correct. But, yeah, there’s definitely a lot to clean up.”
How was Deshaun trying to help you throughout the game? Could tell you guys were talking in between possessions.
“Yeah, he was awesome. Making sure that I know…because a lot of times I had to look somewhere else because of pressure. So he was my eyes when I couldn’t see the other side of the field. While I was reading one side, he was reading the other side. So just trying to make sure I’m getting all the details, all the information on the defense, because a few of those times it helped me out later in the game, taking more checkdowns and things like that.”`
It seemed like Roquan Smith and Jadeveon (Clowney), they really backed up words that they were going to come in here and beat your guys tails in front of your wives and kids and stuff like that. Did you feel like those guys kind of just played with their hair on fire?
“You got to give those guys credit. If they weren’t in the back field, I would have had probably a lot better day. But no, like I said, there’s a lot to clean up on our side. We can’t worry about them. Those guys played a great game. We got to give them respect and tip their hat off to them. But I still think it comes down to us and our offense and what we got to do to clean that up, to be able to help the defense out a lot more.”
And if you find out that you have to play another game, do you feel like you will bounce back better now that you said you got this first one under your belt, now you know what to expect and the speed of gaining on it?
“Yeah, you can for sure say that. Reps help out always and making sure that I can, like I said, use these reps, use this film to be able to correct it going into next week. Regardless of what my role is next week, it’s still going to be the same approach. So, yeah, definitely going to be using these reps a lot, though.
Did you feel like you tried to do too much on some of those plays?
“Yeah, I talked about it earlier. I tried to force some. All the picks—all force plays. Obviously the last play of the game is the last play of the game. But those other two, you feel at times that you want to press and you want to rush and you want to try and score as fast as possible with how the game is going. And those are the times where you really have to lock in on your job and your job only. And those two times prior to the last play of the game, I didn’t do that.”
You took a lot of hard hits in this game. I mean, it seemed like they were really determined to be extremely physical. Just physically, what was the intensity of that like?
“I mean, luckily I started as a true freshman at UCLA, and if you guys would have rewatched that season, it looked like how I did today. So this is my first go-round. I let every one of those O linemen know that this is on me too. This is not just an O lineman fault today or running back or protection or anything. It comes from everybody—receivers, quarterback, everybody involved. So we got to make sure we’re on the same page. I know we had some switch outs at center with Po (Ethan Pocic) getting hurt, but we got to have that next man up mentality and be able to roll guys in and still be flawless. So I know for me, backing up to Deshaun and having to fill his role today, I could have been a lot cleaner on my part.”
Week five, early for a Bye week, but considering you played three division opponents, it’s been very physical, four games for you guys. Do you feel like this bye is maybe coming at a good time for you guys to kind of reset a little bit and kind of get healthy?
“That’s probably a question for when I’m in year ten. I’ll know the league a little better. Like I said, I’m going with the flow of this whole year. All this is new to me. Today is new to me. So I’m trying to learn on the fly as best I can and make sure I’m staying prepared for whatever comes my way. So right now we’re going to get ready for tomorrow’s practice, making sure that everybody’s ready to go.”
How disappointed was Deshaun? When he came in, we watched him warm up, and have a consultation with everybody. How bummed out was he when he walked back up into the locker room and told you that he couldn’t play?
“Yeah, he’s a competitor. I would be feeling the same way. I want to go out there and play as much as I know he does. And so for him to not go out there having to watch on the sideline, especially with how we played today offensively, I know he was pissed and so we got to clean that up. I have to clean that up for him. And like I said, making sure that I fill his role as a backup the best I can, because today obviously wasn’t that.”
When you heard you were starting, what were those emotions that were kind of going through your mind?
“Oh, happy. I mean, shoot, I hadn’t played the first three games. I played a little bit preseason. I love playing football, man. I love being out there with the guys and making sure that I’m the one out there making the calls, going through the reads, going through the footwork. So I’m a football player at heart. This is what I love to do and I’m going to take advantage of every opportunity I get.”
Did you come to the stadium today thinking you would play?
“I come to it every week thinking I’m playing.”
Did you sleep Saturday night thinking and I’m going to get my first start?
“I mean, it may sound corny and cliche, but every week is the same week for me. So whether I’m fourth string back in Greenbrier till today, I prepared the same way. And that’s why a lot of those results today were because of that. Because I’m going through the same process, the same reads, taking the same checkdowns I did back when I first got here as a rookie and making sure that I’m doing everything I can every single day when I get my opportunity, like I did today, be able to make something out of it.”
How determined are you to prove to the Browns and to show them that you deserve to have this number two spot after a deal like today, what can you or what should you do?
“Yeah, that’s the reason why I’m most frustrated. This organization, this team, everybody from the draft process on up has put their faith into me, especially being the number two. And today was not it. Today is not what the picture of a number two quarterback should look like. So that’s why I said it’s a collective thing. It’s not just one or two people, one or two positions. This is all me as well as everybody else in the group. But a lot of that goes to me because I touch the ball every play. And so there’s, like I said, just a lot I have to clean up, so I’ll leave it at that.”
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