The Cleveland Browns snatched defeat from the jaws of victory again in Week 1 as they fell to the Cincinnati Bengals by a narrow margin of 17-16. There were several plays that turned what could have been a season-opening win into a disappointing loss, but most of the blame has fallen on the foot of kicker Andre Szmyt.
Szmyt’s missed extra point represented the difference in the game, but he also botched a chance to redeem himself, missing a potential go-ahead field goal with just over two minutes remaining in the game. While Szmyt has done his best to identify the problem, many believe that the rookie should already be shown the door, much like the San Francisco 49ers did on Tuesday morning.
Browns Should Follow 49ers Lead By Cutting Ties with Andre Szmyt
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the 49ers released kicker Jake Moody, ending what had been a tumultuous tenure in San Francisco. A third-round pick in the 2023 draft, Moody converted 46 of his 62 field goals (74.2%) and 94 of his 96 extra point attempts. But things had gotten particularly bad over the past year as Moody battled a high ankle sprain and made just 24-of-34 (70.6%) of his field goals and 32 of 33 extra points (97%) during the 2024 season.
Things came to a head on Sunday when Moody missed two kicks against the Seattle Seahawks. After missing from 27 yards earlier in the game, Moody had a 36-yard attempt blocked in the third quarter, leading FOX Sports sideline reporter Pam Oliver to note that several players were “ticked off.” Although Moody rebounded with a 32-yard field goal that tied the game at 10-10 with 9:42 to play, it wasn’t enough to save his job, which should be the approach the Browns take with Szmyt.
The Browns believed they fixed their problem by dumping Dustin Hopkins for Szmyt at the end of training camp. But Szmyt’s performance was on par with the man he replaced after Hopkins converted just 18-of-27 (66.7%) field goals and 17-of-20 (85%) extra points last season. While the performance of a young kicker wasn’t enough for his teammates to give him a pass in San Francisco, Szmyt’s teammate Myles Garrett came out to defend the rookie after Sunday’s loss.
Perhaps the Browns don’t want to give up on a rookie who could be a long-term solution at kicker. Or they’re just stumped to find an answer to “Who else are you going to get?” Whatever the reason, the leash should be short, and the Browns shouldn’t be afraid to follow the 49ers' lead if Szmyt’s struggles weren’t just a bad day at the office.