How Browns kicker Andre Szmyt turned early misses into a season-long statement

CLEVELAND, Ohio — There’s nary different building Andre Szmyt tin deliberation of to picture his first NFL play pinch nan Cleveland Browns.

“Wild ride, what a chaotic travel it’s been,” he said.

The Browns’ 13-6 triumph complete nan Pittsburgh Steelers connected Sunday gave them their 4th triumph successful what has been a challenging 4-12 year.

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It’s besides a triumph that came successful ample portion acknowledgment to Szmyt’s leg, pinch nan kicker scoring 7 of Cleveland’s 13 points pinch a 50-yard section goal, a 33-yard section extremity and a first-quarter PAT.

But nan truth that Szmyt has made it this far, to nan last week of nan 2025 season, and is successful this position is thing short of singular considering really his twelvemonth started.

After a missed PAT and 36-yard section extremity effort against nan Bengals, location were calls for Szmyt’s job.

He was mostly an chartless entity. After all, nan erstwhile Lou Groza victor retired of Syracuse had ne'er kicked successful a existent NFL crippled earlier that contest, pinch only believe squad and UFL stints nether his belt.

However, nan Browns stake connected his assemblage of offseason and training campy activity and a believe squad stint successful Cleveland successful 2024.

It’s a move that has paid disconnected for them — 1 of their fewer mini victories successful a 4-12 season.

Since that first game, Szmyt has been a cleanable 22-of-22 connected extra-point attempts.

He’s besides made 20 of 22 section goals, his lone misses being a 56-yard effort successful Detroit successful Week 4 and a 47-yard footwear successful New England successful Week 8.

Two weeks aft his large misses against Cincy, Szmyt moreover won a crippled for Cleveland, nailing a 55-yarder against nan Packers successful an upset.

He’s now made his past 12 section extremity attempts, a agelong that goes backmost to nan Browns’ Week 10 nonaccomplishment to nan Jets.

So really has he done it?

“You conscionable stay, support religion and you conscionable support plugging away,” Szmyt said. “You cognize you’re present for a reason. You benignant of really sewage to excavation into that. And I’m conscionable benignant of trying to judge that week aft week and conscionable stacking experiences for illustration I talked astir and conscionable progress.”

Szmyt’s intelligence fortitude is moreover much awesome considering he’s besides been navigating grief. His mother, Lala, died unexpectedly 10 days earlier her boy reported to training camp.

Szmyt didn’t unfastened up astir her decease until aft nan triumph complete Green Bay, not wanting to make it look for illustration he was making excuses aft a loss. But it was different measurement successful an improbable road, pinch Szmyt beating retired seasoned Dustin Hopkins for nan Browns’ occupation successful nan weeks that instantly followed.

But his perseverance is simply a large portion of nan logic that his teammates ne'er wavered successful supporting him.

“He struggled that first crippled and has really changed a batch of worldly aft that,” seasoned DT Shelby Harris said. “Because you had group calling for his occupation aft nan first crippled and look astatine nan play he’s had. He’s put it together, he’s shown he’s 1 of nan amended kickers successful this league. And pinch much experience, you’re going to spot Andre conscionable get amended and amended successful these situations

“He was a large portion of that triumph today. And I don’t want group to hide astir that. Andre’s a legit kicker successful this league. He’s going to beryllium astir for a agelong time, and he tin do this. Every kicker mightiness person a bad footwear each erstwhile successful a while, but his assemblage of activity this play has shown that he’s an NFL kicker and a bully NFL kicker.”

Szmyt has surely made Cleveland’s life a spot easier heading into nan offseason.

After nan squad chose him complete Hopkins, his early beyond this twelvemonth was uncertain — particularly pinch those early miscues.

While he’s only connected a one-year deal, he’s made his champion statement to nan Browns that they should support him astir beyond 2025.

In a twelvemonth pinch fewer clear answers, Andre Szmyt’s limb — and his resoluteness — unexpectedly became 1 of them.

Ashley Bastock is simply a Browns hit newsman pinch cleveland.com and nan Plain Dealer, and has been since October of 2021. Ashley was named champion sports characteristic writer successful nan 2023 Ohio Associated Press Managing...