Football has finally returned. Well, sort of. We are not going to let the “preseason” label dampen the excitement or prevent us from immediately forming opinions. It may seem silly to overanalyze the Cleveland Browns' comeback victory over the New York Jets in the annual Hall of Fame Game Thursday night, but there is no better time for hyperbolic conjecture than the first week of NFL preseason.
And fortunately, Cleveland gave its fans plenty to run away with in 2023's inaugural exhibition contest. There were intriguing narratives abound, but none more important than the second-half resurgence led by rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. DTR's heroics on a national stage immediately put him on the map and possibly higher on the depth chart.
Let's unpack his performance as well as two other overreactions from the Browns' 21-16 win versus the Jets, which could have the Dawg Pound feeling mighty confident going into the regular season.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson is going to win backup QB job
One of my pet peeves is condensing the name of a rookie or unproven athlete into a cool initials-based nickname. But heck, this is the perfect time to jump the gun. DTR immediately rose to the occasion in his first bit of NFL action and now should be rising up the quarterback depth chart.
Honestly, that does not even feel like a knee-jerk response. The competition to be Deshaun Watson's understudy is not overwhelming by any means. Moreover, Thomas-Robinson is ideally suited for modern offenses. He kept New York guessing throughout the second half, using his legs and strong play-fake skills to daze the defense.
The 2023 fifth-round pick was not limited to relying on his speed and athleticism, however, and showcased the complete arsenal of his abilities. Trailing 16-7 at half, DTR came in and led his team to victory. He sprinted for a first down, laid on a block to help his former UCLA teammate Demetric Felton Jr. dash into the end zone and darted a touchdown pass to Austin Watkins Jr. to give the Browns the lead in the fourth quarter. Simply put, the 23-year-old exemplified the qualities of a winner.
That carries little wight in a preseason game when looking at the big picture of the team, but it could earn the young signal caller strong consideration for the backup job. He completed 8-of-11 passes for 82 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions, outshining the game's starter Kellen Mond. Joshua Dobbs, who is currently slotted at No. 2 on ESPN's Browns depth chart, did not play any snaps. The veteran figures to be Thompson-Robinson's biggest roadblock to cross, as he just started for the Tennessee Titans in a regular season finale filled with playoff implications.
Though, the former Bruins star did not look fazed by the extra attention that comes with playing in the Hall of Fame Game. The questions surrounding his passing skills feel a smidgen less relevant after this showing. Continued success on the field will make DTR impossible for coaches to ignore.
Browns defense can be top-notch
It gets a little trickier with our next overreaction, as not much can be gleaned from a defense's production against second and third stringers. One had to be impressed, though, by how Cleveland settled down and shut New York out in the final 30 minutes. Zach Wilson made some big plays, but the Browns did a nice job keeping their opponent out of the end zone.
Their rushing defense, which gave up the eighth-most yards on the ground last season, held Jets backs to a stingy 2.3 yards per carry. The secondary broke up key passes and gave quarterback Tim Boyle few opportunities downfield. Again, prevailing in a battle of backups does not foretell any dominance carrying over into September, but the Browns mindset and positioning looks solid in the early goings.
Browns kicker Cade York does not look like a starter
I am being very generous by putting the struggling Cade York on this list, considering he could legitimately be fighting for his job this presason. But there should still be a bit of leniency extended his way. A strong college track record and decent upside could be enough for head coach Kevin Stefanski to forgive a tough rookie campaign (24-for-32 on field goal attempts).
A missed 49-yarder in opening drive of the Hall of Fame Game likely makes him less lenient, but York should still have more opportunities to lock down starting kicker duties. He connected on all three of his extra point attempts and appears to be in good form at practice.
Adjusting to NFL-level pressure might take a little longer, but do not forget that the former fourth-rounder was a key part of LSU's 2019-20 national championship season as just a freshman.
Browns fans should be pleased by this first in-game look of the squad. But no one needs to label Dorian Thompson-Robinson as a fantasy sleeper, or look at the list of best available free agent kickers. Just enjoy this burst of adrenaline brought on by the imminent return of football.