The Cleveland Browns are arguably the most surprising team in the NFL right now, sitting in first place in the AFC North after their 27-24 victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night. There are many players who are responsible for the strong start, but they have had their ups and downs along the way.
For example, quarterback Deshaun Watson has been average at best for most of the first four games, but he has been able to lead the Browns on three game-winning fourth-quarter drives. Wide receiver Denzel Boston has a handful of long receptions, but he can go long stretches without a catch. Fellow rookie KC Concepcion has received a lot of volume, but he had been unable to turn those targets into yards until the most recent game.
On defense, Jared Verse doesn’t have a sack yet, but his presence has allowed his teammates to find their way to the quarterback. Plus, there is the overall concern about the number of penalties the Browns have committed on both sides of the ball.
This is why, in naming the most reliable Browns player in the first month, Bleacher Report analyst Alex Ballentine has landed on kicker Andre Szmyt, giving him an A for his clutch performance against the Steelers.
“MVP! Szmyt continues to be the most reliable Brown every week. He went 2-for-2 on field goals and 3-for-3 on PATs. Most importantly, he drilled the 56-yarder to go ahead with 10 seconds left,” Ballentine wrote.
The distinction is well-deserved, as Szmyt has not missed a kick this season, going 7-for-7 on extra points and 8-for-8 on field goals, including his career-long field goal in the final moments against Pittsburgh. With all three of Cleveland’s victories coming by less than a touchdown, having such a reliable kicker is vital.
Szmyt has 31 points this season, which is behind only Chase McLaughlin of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Evan McPherson of the Cincinnati Bengals, who each have 32 points. He has come a long way since missing two kicks in his NFL debut, points that cost the Browns in a Week 1 loss to the Bengals last year.
Having overcome that, no challenge should be too big for Szmyt this season, and as his career moves forward.
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