As Cleveland Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins knocked the last-second 34-yard field goal through the uprights, giving the Browns a 13-10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday (Nov. 19), their starting quarterback was overwhelmed with joy, as tears ran down his face.

“Yeah, man, I’m super happy,” Dorian Thompson-Robinson told the Associated Press after the game. “I'm glad that I can get this one for my teammates.”

In a year where at the beginning of the NFL season 14 starting quarterbacks were Black, the most in league history, Thompson-Robinson has a chance to fill in for another Black quarterback and lead his team to the postseason. And with the defense and running attack he has at his disposal, there is no ceiling on how far the young quarterback could lead the Browns in the postseason.

The Browns rookie quarterback from UCLA, improved greatly from his first start seven weeks earlier. Against the Baltimore Ravens on Nov. 12, Thompson-Robinson completed 19 of his 36 passes for a meager 125 yards, no touchdowns, and three interceptions. To no surprise, DTR found himself on the bench in the next game, replaced by P.J. Walker, who is another Browns backup quarterback.

Opportunity knocked once again, as Browns starter Deshawn Watson was lost for the season due to a displaced fracture in his right shoulder, in a 33-31 victory over the Ravens. Now, Thompson-Robinson’s next challenge is not only to keep the Browns in the think of the AFC North Division race but it’s also to keep his job as the Browns starter. Cleveland signed former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco to the practice squad this week and if DTR wants to succeed, he can follow what a Ravens backup did last year which led him to an unexpected Pro Bowl selection.

Last season, Tyler Huntley stepped in for an injured Lamar Jackson and led the Ravens to the playoffs behind a simple formula; timely throws, a strong running game, and relying on the defense. Huntley took the majority of the snaps, leading the Ravens to a 2-2 record in the four games he started to end the regular season. 

In all four starts, the Ravens averaged 179 rushing yards and Huntley threw over 130 passing yards in a game in the Ravens conservative offense. The offensive plan worked enough for the Ravens to clinch a playoff spot and Huntley was voted as the AFC’s fourth alternative Pro Bowl quarterback.

In the playoffs, the Ravens slowly opened the playbook as Huntley threw for 226 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. The critical play happened as the Ravens were looking to break the 17-17 tie in the fourth quarter. But Cincinnati Bengals defensive linemen scored on a fumble from 98 yards out for the backbreaking score.

Despite the loss, the same formula will work for the current crop of Browns. Cleveland has the third-best rushing attack in the NFL, averaging 142.7 yards a game. Doing the lion’s share of the work is Jerome Ford who leads the team with 563 yards and three touchdowns. Ford is joined with Kareem Hunt who has 264 yards and six scores.

Defensively, the Browns allow the fewest yards (243.3 yards a game), the sixth-fewest points per game (18 points), and have the league leader in sacks with Myles Garett’s 13 sacks.

As the NFL goes into the Thanksgiving holiday, fans will focus on the Detroit Lions against Green Bay and the Dallas Cowboys against the Washington Commanders as Detroit and Dallas begin to hunt for a spot in the playoffs. But Thompson-Robinson helping the Browns to win over the Steelers – and adding to a defeat over the Ravens – has given his team oxygen after Watson’s departure, which is exactly what they needed.

For him, though, its the support of his teammates in the moment that keeps him motivated.Everybody's letting me know that they got my back, from the guys walking around on the street outside when I go to a store, to my teammates in the locker room every day,” Thompson-Robinson told Clevelandbrowns.com. “Everybody this week has been great, and it's only made my job a lot easier." 

Justin Adams is an Emmy nominated News and Sports Anchor/Reporter for CBS News Colorado in Denver. He is also a Play by Play Announcer for the Pac-12 Network and Mountain West Network and has appeared on FOX Sports Radio.