PJ Walker will get his first start with the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, filling in for Deshaun Watson against an undefeated San Francisco 49ers squad.
Walker brings with him some starting experience from his time with the Carolina Panthers. The Browns picked up Walker ahead of the season to add a veteran name to their depth chart following the trade of Joshua Dobbs. Walker has started seven games in his career and went 4-3 in those starts. He’s passed for 1,461 yards but has five touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his appearances.
His first test in Cleveland isn’t an easy one with the 49ers coming to town but Walker is trying to keep the focus on the guys wearing orange and brown.
“It’s going to be good. It’s going to be good. I think the guys around me, though, do a great job of being there for me, everybody’s out there to do their job,” Walker said on Friday, October 13. “I’m not even going to make it about them because it ain’t about them. It’s about us in the building right here. That’s all that matters.”
The 49ers are fresh off a 42-10 beatdown of the Dallas Cowboys and their defense ranks among the top in the league. San Francisco is allowing 13.6 points per game — No. 1 in the league — and is giving up just 266.8 yards per game, which is third in the NFL.
PJ Walker Jumped Dorian Thompson-Robinson on Depth Chart
Walker takes the place of rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who started in Week 4 against the Baltimore Ravens. Thompson-Robinson tossed three interceptions in that game and the Browns likely did not want to run the rookie out again against a very stout 49ers unit.
Walker spent the first three weeks of the season as the No. 3 quarterback and did not get elevated for game day until Watson was injured in Week 4. He remained ready in case his number was called.
“During the week this week. Found out. For me, I prepare each week like I am the backup. That’s how I’ve always been. That’s how I always approached going into these games on Sundays, whether I’m one, two, or three. For me, it’s just always go out there prepared like I’m going to play on Sunday. Because you just never know what happens. Somebody can wake up sick on Sunday morning, and they can’t go. So for me, it’s just always be ready.”
The Browns are hoping that Walker will be able to give them a little more juice to pull off an upset. The Browns opened as a 5.5-point underdog but that number has balooned to 10 points at some sportsbooks following the news of Watson sitting out.
“It is what it is. I’ve been there before. We’ve been there before,” Walker said of being a hefty underdog. “It’s going to be what it’s going to be. So for me, it’s nothing that we can control. That’s what the outside noise is. So for us, we’re gonna go out there and prove them wrong on Sunday.”
Browns Still Uncertain of When Deshaun Watson Will Return
Watson’s injury has been a bit of a mystery. Watson had expressed optimism that he’d face the Ravens in Week 4 but ended up being a late scratch after he tested out the shoulder in pregame warmups. The Browns said he’d be ready to face the 49ers following the bye week but Watson was unable to practice and is missing his second straight game.
“Trying to every day, treat it day to day. Treat the injury, day to day,”Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Friday, October 13. “He’s making progress. He’s working very hard, but just wasn’t ready to get to the level where he could practice and be effective just yet. But he’s making progress.”
Watson had one of his best games as a member of the Browns when he was on the field last. He passed for 289 yards and a pair of touchdowns, completing 81.8% of his passes in a 27-3 victory against the Panthers.
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Browns QB PJ Walker Drops Message on 49ers Ahead of First Start