Cleveland’s rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson rallies the Browns to a 21-16 comeback victory in the Hall of Fame Game against New York, while Jets’ Zach Wilson only plays the first quarter
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Browns rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson rallied Cleveland with a pair of touchdowns in the second half to ruin the start of the Jets’ Aaron Rodgers era with a 21-16 Hall of Fame game win as the New York backup QB Zach Wilson only played a quarter.
It was a battle between rookies and reserves as both teams rested their starters in the NFL’s first game of 2023.
There was a notable disruption on opening night, as a power outage at Tom Benson Stadium caused a delay of approximately 20 minutes between the third and fourth quarters.
A fifth-round pick, Thompson-Robinson started the Browns’ comeback in the second half with a 22-yard TD pass to Austin Watkins Jr. and 9:33 took off in the third to give Cleveland the lead. He finished the game with 8 of 11 attempts for 82 yards.
Wilson, whose struggles as a starter over the past two seasons sent the Jets on a QB quest that eventually brought them Rodgers via trade from Green Bay in April, had some positive moments during his three series. He somewhat proved that he can move New York’s offense as a backup QB, though questions remain after Thursday night’s matchup.
Browns QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson (17) finished 8-of-11 for 82 yards in Thursday night’s win
The rookie QB, a fifth-round pick, began the Browns’ comeback with 9:33 left in the third
Thompson-Robinson talks to Jets starting QB Aaron Rodgers after his impressive performance
Jets backup QB Zach Wilson finished his performance with a 57-yard completion in the first
On his 24th birthday, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 draft had passed 3 out of 5 for 65 yards. Wilson provided the game’s first score with a 57-yard completion to wide receiver Malik Taylor in what was the highlight pass of his cameo.
Jets coach Robert Saleh was pleased with Wilson’s performance.
“I thought he did a really good attack,” Saleh said at half-time. “He had a really nice go-ball on the left. I thought he did really well for us the first time we went out.’
Greg Zuerlein kicked field goals of 54, 44, and 53 yards and Israel Abanikanda had a 10-yard touchdown run for the Jets.
Demetric Felton Jr. had a 10-yard TD run for Cleveland, his sprint spawned from Thompson-Robinson’s seal block on the rim.
Rodgers was a high-profile spectator.
Rodgers sometimes wore a headset during Thursday night’s game because the QB was not playing at all
Brown’s starting QB Deshaun Watson saw his teammates play similarly from the sidelines
Many of the lights went out at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium at the start of the fourth
Jets head coach Robert Saleh greets Browns coach Kevin Stefanski after the preseason game
The four-time MVP watched from the sidelines as he wore black Jets gear and a headset, making him look more like an assistant coach than a star quarterback.
On Wednesday, Rodgers toured the Hall of Fame and got a close-up look at a place where he will one day be enshrined.
To do that, he must restore the New York franchise.
The 39-year-old is not expected to play this preseason – he hasn’t since 2018 – and said earlier this week that upcoming joint workouts against Tampa Bay and Carolina will help him prepare for the September 11 season opener against Buffalo .
The Browns sat quarterback Deshaun Watson, who, like Rodgers, is expected to do big things in his sophomore year with Cleveland.
Watson went 3-3 after returning from his 2022 11-game suspension for violating the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy after being accused by two dozen women of sexual harassment and assault during massage therapy sessions while playing for Houston.
Kellen Mond started for the Browns and played the first half, going 7 of 12 for 49 yards with a touchdown pass and an interception.