Browns Make Final Call on Kicker’s Fate After Game-Deciding Misses
The Cleveland Browns appear ready to roll with Andre Szmyt for another week after his miserable debut against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Szmyt missed two very important kicks against the Begnals during a 17-16 loss. He sailed an extra point and a 36-yard field goal wide right. The chip-shot field goal would have given the Browns the lead with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter.
While many predicted that the Browns would be searching for a new kicker this week, Cleveland appears set to give Szmyt another shot. The Browns did not try out a kicker on Tuesday, per Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com.
The move would be in line with what the Browns have said this week, backing Szmyt despite the misses.
Obviously, Andre knows we trust him, knows that he’s got to come through for us in those moments,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Monday. “I thought he had a really good warm up. Banged a couple early in the game and, you know, missed those two at the end and those are kicks that we expect him to make. But I’m really just focused on that game and we expect him to come through for us.”
Not trying out a kicker on Tuesday does not mean Szmyt is completely safe. But as it stands, it appears he’ll be looking for redemption on Sunday on the road against the Baltimore Ravens.
Browns Kicker Andre Szmyt Won Battle in Training Camp
The matchup with the Bengals marked Szmyt’s NFL debut. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Chicago Bears in 2023 but didn’t make the roster. He has also spent time in the UFL, where he played for the St. Louis Battlehawks. Szmyt had a strong college career at Syracuse, winning the Lou Groza Award in 2018.
He beat out incumbent Dustin Hopkins for the gig with a perfect preseason. Hopkins hit a career-low 66% of his field goals (18-of-27) last season and also missed three extra points. That was a sharp decline from 2023, when he went 33-of-36 overall and a perfect 8-of-8 from 50-plus yards. His strong showing that year earned him a three-year extension, placing him among the league’s highest-paid kickers at the time. Hopkins remains a free agent.
“I think Andre (Szmyt) did a nice job since he’s been here, took advantage of every opportunity that we gave him,” Browns special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone said last week. “And just made a decision, felt like it was the right thing to do for our team.”
Browns Shuffle Practice Squad Players
The Browns did make a fringe roster move on Tuesday, shuffling practice squad players. Cleveland signed defensive tackle Ralph Holley to the practice squad and released RB Trayveon Williams from the practice squad.
Holley (6-foot-0, 285 pounds) is officially in his first NFL season out of Western Michigan. He spent all offseason and preseason with the Browns this year. He has also spent time in the USFL and CFL.
The Browns will head to Baltimore this week looking to bounce back from the painful Week 1 loss. Cleveland is a 12.5-point underdog for the matchup, per ESPN BET.
Chiefs Star Travis Kelce Explains Play That Injured Xavier Worthy
The Kansas City Chiefs not only started the season 0-1, but injury was added to insult to begin the year. Star wide receiver Xavier Worthy went down with a shoulder ailment, resulting from friendly fire of all things.
In the aftermath of Kansas City’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, tight end Travis Kelce is taking accountability. He dove into the now-infamous play from the game on his “New Heights” podcast.
Travis Kelce Dives Into Play That Hurt Xavier Worthy
The sequence in question was a third-and-6 in the first quarter. On a mesh-style concept, Kelce collided with Worthy, leading to a dislocated shoulder for the former first-round pick.
Kelce admitted he’s at fault for the injury. Apparently, the future Hall of Fame man didn’t execute his route assignment correctly.
“I’m supposed to be running my route at depth for Worthy,” Kelce said. “It’s frustrating for me. I was trying to kind of set up my guy to be able to get in a position, and it all just happened pretty quick. I’ve just got to be better, man. I’m 13 years in the league. There’s no excuse for me running into my own guys like that. Being able to play fast and help him out — Worthy had his guy beat — we’re out the gate, and that game starts completely different. Instead, I’m not sure where he is exactly health-wise, but I’m hoping that we get him back as fast as possible because he means so much to this team.”
It’s still unclear how much time Worthy will miss. This doesn’t seem to be a day-to-day situation, though, which makes Kelce feel even worse.
“The biggest thing is that he’s one of our best players,” Kelce said. “He’s going to take that step into being one of the best wide receivers in the National Football League. I run into him and all of a sudden, one of the biggest pieces of the game plan is out of the game. One of the fastest guys in the league — and speed kills in this league. Now, they don’t have to worry about that.”
Kelce Grateful for Chiefs’ Game in Brazil but Bummed About Worthy Injury
The Worthy injury threw a wrench in the plans of the Chiefs’ offense. They punted on the opening drive, as well as their next two possessions. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes did eventually adjust and lead five consecutive scoring series, but it wasn’t enough. Kansas City failed to slow down the Chargers’ passing attack.
A loss of both the game and a promising young wideout within the action overshadowed a massive opportunity. Kansas City, the NFL’s premier franchise right now, got a chance to expand the game in Week 1. The Friday contest took place in São Paulo, Brazil, where there are millions of football fans.
Kelce is appreciative of that stage, even if his excitement quickly turned into disappointment.
“It was a cool experience, outside of us just not getting off on the right foot,” Kelce said. “Again, I know it’s kind of sounding like a broken record from last year’s Super Bowl, but that’s on us as leaders. I’ll take the most accountability myself. I wasn’t ready [on] that first drive; I ran into one of my guys and offed him out of the game. I literally took one of my players out. That’s one of the most frustrating parts, and it’s hard to get your juices back going knowing you just hurt a guy. It’s a frustrating way to start off the season — a frustrating way to start off the game.”
In the defeat, Kelce recorded 2 catches for 47 yards and a touchdown. Wideout Marquise “Hollywood” Brown was the club’s leading receiver, logging 10 catches for 99 yards. Veteran JuJu Smith-Schuster also stepped up, going 5-for-5 on targets and adding 55 receiving yards of his own.
Kelce, in addition to the rest of the Chiefs, will now look ahead to Worthy’s hopeful return.
