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Andre Szmyt opens up on missing key kicks in Browns Week 1 loss.
The Cleveland Browns lost 17-16 to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1 in a game that Cleveland had a chance to win.
The Browns had the ball late in the fourth quarter, but Joe Flacco threw a pick after it was tipped by a receiver. But a key reason why Cleveland lost was the missed kicks by Andre Szmyt. Szmyt went 1-for-2 on field goals and also missed an extra point, which proved to be costly.
Following the loss, Szmyt says he rushed the kicks, which is why he missed the two kicks.
“Similar to the extra point, I rushed my approach and pushed the ball. I got to do better and I expect better out of myself. Just try and forget about it and move on to next week,” Szmyt said… “Watch the film and see what went wrong. That’s kind of what it felt like. Forget about it and give myself 24 hours, analyze what happened and move on.”
Although Szmyt missed two kicks, he says the team was supportive of him, as he says he’s confident he will hit the next kick.
“Supportive, obviously, these guys are here for me. I know I have to do my job, and I’m going to do it next time.”
Szmyt went undrafted in 2023. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Browns in January and beat out Dustin Hopkins for the kicking job.
Joe Flacco Backs Szmyt Despite Struggles
After the loss, Browns quarterback Joe Flacco backed his kicker.
Flacco was asked about the missed kicks, and he defended Szmyt. The veteran quarterback says it is a team sport, and the blame goes to everyone, not just the kicker. But, he expects Szmyt to get back on track next week and have success.
“I think the problem is that you forget this is a team sport sometimes, because there’s such a spotlight on you because of certain points in the game and what happened,” Flacco said. “And what you’ve got to remember is that we’ve all been in a situation where we’ve all made mistakes before that have been a big part of costing us a football game. You got to shake it.
“It’s not just on you. It’s a team sport. We’re all going to be in there and rally together. Nobody wants to be in that situation and not come up for your team,” Flacco added. “But we’ve all been there and can understand not doing it. I think if you’re able to kind of take that in, then you can use it to make you better in the future. So hopefully that’s, we can help him do with it.”
Szmyt was making his NFL debut in Week 1.
Analyst Urges Browns to Cut Szmyt
Despite Cleveland backing Szmyt after Week 1, one Browns analyst believes the team needs to cut the kicker.
NFL analyst Ken Carman made it clear that Cleveland needs to bring in kickers and sign a new one for Week 2.
“You have to cut him and get him out of here is what you have to do,” Carman said… “I’ll keep trying kickers… find a different one. It’s not ridiculous, that’s just the business that they’re in. That’s what makes the position so difficult.”
Carman believes the Browns need to address the kicker position as Szmyt can’t be the long-term answer.