Dawgs By Nature
When it rains, it pours when it comes to the special teams unit for the Cleveland Browns.
Missed kicks in Week 1 helped spell defeat against the Cincinnati Bengals. A blocked punt and continued tackling issues on punt returns helped contribute to a loss against the Baltimore Ravens.
Now, with the Browns welcoming the undefeated Green Bay Packers to Huntington Bank Field this Sunday, more bad has hit special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone’s group.
Not only is punter Corey Bojorquez dealing with an ankle injury suffered on the aforementioned block, but primary kick returner DeAndre Carter is questionable for the Green Bay game as he is still working his way back after suffering a concussion on the opening kickoff against the Ravens.
Everyone knew that coming into the work week, but it was Friday’s news that brought a surprise as placekicker Andre Szmyt is now listed as questionable after suffering a left calf injury during today’s practice.
Szmyt will undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the damage, and if he can’t go on Sunday, the Browns will hustle to bring in a kicker in time for the game.
As hard as it may be for non-Browns fans to believe, because everything is believable when you are a Browns fan, this is not the first time the Browns have found themselves in a situation like this.
In 2016, kicker Patrick Murray was hurt during the Friday practice before the Week 3 game against the Miami Dolphins. The Browns signed Cody Parkey on Saturday, and he proceeded to miss three field goals, including what would have been the game-winner at the end of regulation, and the Browns fell to the Dolphins in overtime.
Hopefully, if the Browns have to turn to a new kicker for this Sunday’s game, they have better luck than Parkey did on that September afternoon in South Florida.
In other non-kicker injury news, the Browns listed left guard Joel Bitonio as questionable with a back injury, right tackle Jack Conklin as questionable with an elbow injury, and defensive tackle Michale Hall Jr. as questionable with a knee injury.
