Browns' Dorian Thompson-Robinson: I Won't Be 'Wide-Eyed Anymore' for 2nd NFL Start

Dorian Thompson-Robinson's first NFL start was nothing short of a disaster.

The Cleveland Browns quarterback is confident his second will be much better.

Thompson-Robinson, who was named the Browns' starter for Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in place of an injured Deshaun Watson, said he feels more prepared than his debut earlier this season.

"I know what to expect now," Thompson-Robinson told reporters Thursday. "I'm not stepping out there for the first time -- not going out there wide-eyed anymore."

The Browns named Thompson-Robinson as their starting quarterback when Watson was ruled out for the season with a shoulder injury earlier this week. The fifth-round pick previously started a Week 4 game against the Ravens, throwing for 121 yards and three interceptions in a 28-3 blowout loss.

A fifth-round pick out of UCLA, Thompson-Robinson will take over a Browns team that's surging in the standings. Cleveland currently sits at 6-3 after a last-second win over the Baltimore Ravens and would be the No. 6 seed in the AFC if the season ended today.

A win over the Steelers would give the Browns the conference's top Wild Card spot and would potentially put them in the AFC North lead if Baltimore loses to the Cincinnati Bengals.

The decision to move forward with Robinson was a bit of a surprise for that reason. Most expected veteran PJ Walker to get the first crack at starting, but Walker has struggled mightily in every NFL chance he's been given. The 28-year-old has thrown for just six touchdowns against 16 interceptions in 20 career appearances. He's thrown for 618 yards and one touchdown against five interceptions in place of Watson this season.

The Browns are banking on Thompson-Robinson giving them enough of a jolt to stay in the playoff picture. It remains to be seen whether that will be the case or if Cleveland will be active in attempting to sign a veteran in the coming days.

Odds are how Thompson-Robinson fares against Pittsburgh will play a large part in the answer.