The Cleveland Browns are getting their primary kicker back as Dustin Hopkins returns to action this Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed Hopkins will resume his starting role after missing the Chiefs game, where Riley Patterson filled in but didn’t get any field goal opportunities.
Hopkins has been working through some recent struggles, particularly with accuracy issues that led to several misses.
However, his week of practice showed promising signs as he addressed a mechanical flaw that was causing his kicks to veer wide left.
The adjustment seems to be paying off, he’s been perfect in practice sessions, putting the earlier overcorrection issues from the Pittsburgh game behind him.
NFL analyst Bruce Drennan recently raised eyebrows on his podcast with a concerning statistic about Hopkins.
“He leads the NFL with nine missed FG attempts. Nine. We’ve got quite a few games left!”
Will the Browns have Dustin Hopkins back on Sunday?
"He leads the NFL with nine missed FG attempts. We've got quite a few games left!"
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— Bruce Drennan Show (@Bruce_Drennan) December 18, 2024
The Browns (3-11) are now preparing for their Week 16 road matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals (6-8), a rematch of their October encounter.
That Thursday night game ended in a 21-14 Bengals victory, but it carried more weight than initially expected.
It marked the turning point of Cleveland’s season when Deshaun Watson suffered his season-ending Achilles tear. Since that pivotal moment, the Browns have managed just two victories.
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