Factory Of Sadness
FanSided

Poor play lands 4 Cleveland Browns in the Dawg House heading into Week 6

By Jamyson Frierson

CLEVELAND - OCTOBER 04: A fan of the Cleveland Browns cheers on his team as they play the Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns Stadium on October 4, 2009 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND - OCTOBER 04: A fan of the Cleveland Browns cheers on his team as they play the Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns Stadium on October 4, 2009 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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Zane Gonzalez

Zane Gonzalez, you are in the Dawg House!

What a horrible game he had kicking field goals. I picked Gonzalez to be the best rookie kicker in the league this season in my draft article. The only adjustments I saw him making were to the cold and wind off of Lake Erie.

It seems he needs more than that to make his kicks apparently.

Gonzalez has missed a total of three field goals going back two weeks to the game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He’s missed from 48, 52 and 39. He has nobody to blame but himself and his leg.

The weather has been fantastic for October. It’s the same temperatures it would be in Arizona right now. There is just no excuses for this.

Kickers in the NFL have the shortest leash of any other player. The days of teams drafting them, and keeping them long term doesn’t exist anymore. For example, Roberto Aguayo won all the awards and accolades that Gonzalez did, but he’s now a free agent after failing with the Buccaneers and not landing a roster spot with the Chicago Bears.

This is after one year!

Gonzalez could be next to join the Lou Groza award-winner unemployment line if he keeps this up. I don’ t want to be too harsh on the kid. Last season in Week 2, Cody Parkey missed three straight field goals, and an extra point. He bounced back and had a decent year. But with Parkey, he was just signed that week, so the rust was there.

There’s no excuse for Gonzalez at all. He has one job, and that is to make your field goals. I usually have a potential reason of why issues could be happening, but this is on him.

Is the NFL too big for him? Does he fold under pressure? If he does, then the league is not for him. There’s a reason he won those awards in college. He has to let things slow down, and start making kicks.

If he’s struggling in this mild weather, how is he going to perform in the cold and snow?

Next: What's next for the Cleveland Browns?

Hopefully he can chalk it up as a bad two weeks, bounce back and be the kicker Browns fan expect him to be.

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