QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson (12.26.24)

Dorian, how did your calf come through? How does it feel now? And how do you feel heading into this game?

“Yeah, starting out, into last week, was kind of feeling a little tightness in there. Second play of the game probably took a wrong step trying to push off it on that quarterback keeper and just kind of felt like a big pop in there, like a big strain. Got back in here, got some treatment on it. It feels really well right now. The guys in here have been taking care of me, and then with this schedule, with having Christmas off and us coming in here on Tuesday, they gave me a little extra few days to let it rest up, so it feels great right now.”

 

It looked like you ran it pretty well over the rest of the game. Did you think it slowed you down at all?

“Nothing could ever slow me down. If it’s not broken or torn all the way off the bone, I’ll play with any injury there is. And that’s just kind of how I’ve always been, whether it dates back to college or whatever. I live for moments like these to go out there and play, so I wouldn’t want anything to take away from that.”

 

You had to throw a lot in Cincinnati. I mean, would you like to see a little more balance in the play selection?

“That’s not my job. My job is to go out there and run this offense and get us up and down the field and score each and every drive. Like I said, end each and every drive with a kick. And right now we’re just focusing on not trying to beat ourselves. The turnovers, the penalties, the things that set us back offensively are really the things we’re trying to work to clean up.”

 

We saw that clip on Hard Knocks, where you’re sitting in the room with Jameis (Winston) and he’s kind of walking you through his weekly routine, what he does each day of the week. What did that mean to you? The fact that he’s taking the time to kind of walk you through his processes and then also too, what did you learn from it? What do you feel like you can implement from that?

“Since I’ve gotten here, as you guys know, there’s been a bunch of veteran quarterbacks that have come through so far in my year and a half of being here, and with every guy that comes through here, I’ve done the exact same thing, trying to ask him as many questions as possible. I’m still a young guy, so trying to build up my routine and repertoire as I go through this thing. Even though I feel like I’ve set a pretty good foundation for it. But Jameis has been great all year. Whether I’m up, Deshaun (Watson) is up, whoever’s in there, whether he’s in there. Like I said, he’s been around guys like Drew Brees and Tom Brady, so I’m sure he’s asked the same questions. But Jameis has helped out a lot with just being able to see things pre-snap, coverages, fronts, eliminate things from the reads a little bit quicker, earlier, getting into different protections, tips and tricks that he’s learned along the way. Like I said, that can only help me out, so I figured I’d ask.”

 

It didn’t go the way you wanted, obviously. Do you feel better having been through it and now you’re in a little bit of a routine as the starter?

“I mean, Tony (Grossi), you could have asked the same thing last year. We’re not going to use that as an excuse anymore. Like I said, this isn’t my first time playing. I’m not a rookie no more, so I can’t use that as an excuse. I got to go out there and be able to execute and when things don’t go right, don’t make a bad play worse. And like I said, those are kind of the things I’m working to eliminate.”

 

At least you have something to look at and correct. Do you feel good about correcting that?

“Yeah, of course. Of course. That’s what Monday through Friday is for. And definitely coming in here, being a big self-critic of myself on Monday. And then really dissecting that film for each play as its own and not trying to sugarcoat stuff or point fingers here and there, like look at myself truly in the mirror on each and every play, good or bad, just so we can correct it up and clean it for next week.”

 

What did you learn about yourself from that particular game?

“That’s a good question. I mean, you know that these guys, they have my back. They were encouraging me not only during the game, but after the game. I think everybody in here sees the potential. And that’s probably the most frustrating thing to me, is that I’m not showing it right now. And so that’s what I’m working towards is trying to be able to put a complete full game out there on Sunday.”

 

We talked to Jerry (Jeudy) about just you guys continuing to kind of get on the same page and work through some things. As you’re building chemistry with a receiver like him, just how does that process go? What are those conversations like?

“Yeah, I mean, getting the ball, that’s probably the biggest thing. He’s a great receiver, a great route runner, knows how to create separation. And even when he’s doubled, after looking back at that last game, even when he got doubled on a few players, he broke free. Whether a second window or on a choice route, like just finding space. And so that’s probably the biggest thing, is make sure I can trust him, his routes, and then obviously he’s going to trust me to put the ball where it’s supposed to be. So that’s probably the biggest thing with getting on the same page with him is just doing my part and getting him the ball.”

 

Did you go back and look at yourself getting off of him too quickly?

“Yeah, yeah, for sure. Again, I’m trying to go through my reads. We hadn’t really practiced them doubling Jerry as much as they did. So, kind of had to adjust on the fly. But again, that falls back on me on knowing the timing and spacing of the concepts and then just trusting our best receiver.”

 

When you went back and watched the film, the interceptions, were those avoidable? Like, what did you see?

“All interceptions are avoidable. It’s all based on the quarterback’s decision to either hold onto the ball or throw it. The one in the red zone, we didn’t get to our zero check with the amount of time that was on the clock. So right then and there, you’re already stuck into a bad play with the protection. Like I just mentioned, don’t make a bad play worse; eat the sack, kick a field goal, don’t give them back the momentum. The second one to Dave (David Njoku), definitely a bonehead play on me. Like I talked about on Sunday, trying to give one of our best 50/50 ball players a chance right there. But again, that goes back to don’t put the ball in harm’s way. The quarterback rule that lives for 100 years of don’t throw late over middle. And really just trusting my legs like I had been bragging about and talking about all last week, to be able to use it in that situation instead of trying to throw up a play.”

 

When you went back and watched it, what could you have done, if anything, to help negate some of those negative plays like, I guess, there’s five sacks, a couple of those runs, where the guy comes off the edge and tackles you. Is there something you could have done to avoid some of those?

“Yeah, for sure. Definitely the sacks. It’s a big emphasis for me this week is stepping up in the pocket. I did for the majority of the game, but like you said, a few of those plays, they caught me where it was a six-yard sack instead of being a one or two-yard sack in second and 12 instead of second and 15. And then really the run plays early on in the game, they had a great plan blitzing the nickel. Wasn’t too much I could do. It’s not like I could have seen the rotation or anything with the motions. And so, I’d say that was definitely a good defensive call on their part. But definitely the sacks, I could definitely do a lot better job in that area for sure.”

 

Have you been studying this Miami defense? What concerns you most as you prepare to face them?

“Yeah, it’s a disguised defense. They may not zero you or pressure you a bunch, but they’re going to run a ton of games up front. They’re going to switch the coverage on you every down and really try to make the quarterback think. Again, that falls on me not putting the ball in harm’s way and keeping us moving on first and second down, so we’re not stuck in third downs.”

 

If you don’t have David or Ced (Cedric Tillman) this game, how are you going to get this done?

“Yeah, I mean, we didn’t have Ced last game and Dave was banged up for most of the last game. So, it’s going to be the same game plan, same process for me in terms of going through my reads. Like I said, we still have Jerry, our best receiver, so really focused on getting him the ball. And then other than that, we got great talent in the receiver room and at tight end. Guys that I trust fully with Jordan Akins, Blake Whiteheart, and then obviously E. (Elijah) Moore and those guys that are stepping up in the receiver room for sure. So, I have no worries come Sunday. I was just out there at practice today and it looks seamless. So, like I said, I’m not worried about that.”

 

Is it, like Joe Burrow says, to stick with your legs, does that kind of reinforce your own beliefs?

“Yeah, I mean we both are coached up by the same trainer in the offseason. I watch a ton of his tape. Me and Jameis actually talked about how efficient he moves in the pocket. It’s something we try to emulate. But yeah, when one of the best to do it right now in this season tells you something like that and it’s obviously something I already know, but just to hear from him, it means a lot.”

 

Coming into a game you obviously know on each play where potential escape routes are. How different can that be, though, from what happens in real time?

“I mean, it’s very different than you sitting there with a clicker and stopping it every five seconds versus when the bullets are flying live. But, yeah, you kind of know based off of whether it’s personnel, how their front is lined up pre-snap, how we’re blocking, the protection we’re sending of kind of where your escape routes are going to be. And then you also got to take into account where your routes are going to end up going to so that way you have somebody to throw to if the defense does want to come up on you.”