For the Cleveland Browns and their fans, Thursday’s Hall of Fame Game had some genuine moments of encouragement. They beat the New York Jets 21-16 and saw a lot of positive signs from rookie quarterback, Dorian Thompson-Robinson. But not everything went well.
In 2022, the Browns used a fourth-round pick on kicker Cade York. That move paid immediate dividends when he drilled a 58-yard kick in the final seconds of Week 1’s game against the Carolina Panthers to secure a 26-24 victory. But the season overall was a struggle. York was 24-for-32 on field goals and 35-for-37 on extra points.
York attempted a 49-yard field goal in the first quarter of Thursday’s game against the Jets. And if anyone had forgotten about York’s accuracy issues as a rookie, this kick was a reminder of them.
And while preseason results should generally be taken with a huge grain of salt, it’s hard to dismiss a field goal. This is particularly true when the snap and hold are fine and there’s little-to-no wind.
York settled in better after the miss. The Browns didn’t try another field goal, but he was perfect on three extra points.
Still, the bad miss from 49 was hard to ignore.
Death, taxes, and missed Cade York FGs
— Billy Muzio (@FFMuzio) August 4, 2023
A bad kick can happen to anyone. But after a trying rookie season, it’s doubtful that York will have much wiggle room left if those continue.