Getty Images Cade York of the Cleveland Browns.
Kicker Cade York’s sideline tirade after the Cleveland Browns decided against a 67-yard field goal attempt before half did not bother coach Kevin Stefanski.
In fact, he was glad to hear that his kicker was confident he could pull it off — albeit it was a significant long shot.
“I didn’t see that, but it is good that your kicker has confidence and it is good that they don’t lack confidence,” Stefanski said. “It is like anything else, they want the ball in a big moment, just like a point guard wants the ball or a receiver wants the ball. That is the mentality of guys who want to help the team. We will continue to make decisions that are best for the team. If it calls for it, I think Cade will be ready to go.”
#Browns rookie kicker Cade York wants to kick the 68-yarder!!!! t.co/kygejdu6EK
The Browns opted instead for a hail mary, which fell harmlessly to the turf.
York’s Year Has Been Mixed Bag for Browns
The Browns selected York in the fourth round of the draft, hoping that he could be their long-term solution at kicker, which has been missing since the days of Phil Dawson. His rookie year has been a mixed bag. York nailed a clutch 58-yard field goal in the team’s opener against Carolina to win the game and his pregame kicks from distance have gone viral on occasion.
However, the problem has been consistency. York is hitting his field goals at a 76.9% rate, which ranks 29th in the league. He has also missed a pair of extra points, which is less than ideal for a franchise kicker.
Browns special teams coach Mike Priefer expressed confidence in his young kicker and has been pleased with his growth.
“He has a lot of confidence. His big thing was getting the ball in the air and good elevation,” Priefer said on December 8. “He has worked really hard on that the last few weeks. He just has to be more consistent and believe in the process, like we talked about last week. I thought he did a really nice down there in Houston.”
That’ll be especially important against a Ravens defense that has some lengthy guys up front — specifically Calais Campbell — who can knock down kicks.
“That is definitely something that you see on tape. With Calais, that is what he has done over his career,” Stefanski said. “You do have to be great in protection versus this team obviously up front and on the perimeter. They really do apply pressure. Then you have to have elevation on your kick because they do a great job on that side.”
Browns Look to Get Back on Track Against Ravens
The Browns’ playoff hopes are slim but they’re taking it one game at a time the rest of the way as they look to end the season on a high note. Next up are the Ravens at home in a game where they might have to run out a third-string quarterback in Anthony Brown. Both starter Lamar Jackson and backup Tyler Huntley are dealing with injuries.
“Honestly, what you see is really nothing past today. I think that is so important and something we talked about with this being a short week, you really have to convince your body and your mind that it is time to go and you can’t get stuck in you are 48 hours removed or whatever it is from the previous one,” Stefanski said. “You really do have to flip that switch and give everything you have today, which is not a lot physically but it is a lot mentally that we are putting on them.”
According to the New York Times playoff predictor, the Browns have a less than 1% chance of making it to the postseason, although they haven’t been mathematically eliminated yet. The Ravens and Bengals sit atop the AFC North at 9-4 and are nearly locks to make it to the playoffs.