Deshaun Watson Out Against Ravens, Dorian Thompson-Robinson to Start

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will not play against the Baltimore Ravens due to a shoulder injury. Dorian Thompson-Robinson will start.

After only a few throws in warmups, the Cleveland Browns shut down quarterback Deshaun Watson ahead of their game against the Baltimore Ravens with a shoulder injury he suffered against the Tennessee Titans. As a result, rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson will get his first start in the NFL.

DTR was selected in the fifth round out of UCLA in this year's draft. He impressed enough that the team felt good enough about his progress that they could trade Joshua Dobbs to the Arizona Cardinals ahead of the season.

The good news is that because the Browns were so cautious with Watson's shoulder this week in practice, DTR took almost all of the first team reps. He has at least had an opportunity to get some work with the teammates he will now be counting on in this game.

P.J. Walker, activated from the practice squad is DTR's backup.

There is still a lingering question about the availability of tight end David Njoku due to burns he suffered in a home accident, but the rest of the offense is healthy.

It helps that the Browns have one of the best defenses in the league so far this season, which could allow DTR to avoid needing to be a hero.

For Watson, not playing in this game means he will have another two weeks to recover since the Browns have their bye after the Ravens game. That should enable him to be fully healthy by week six when the Browns will host the San Francisco 49ers.

If the Browns can pull off a victory with DTR, they head into the bye week with a 3-1 record as well as two divisional wins. A loss and they are 2-2 with some work to do within a difficult division.