Cleveland Browns rookie kicker Andre Szmyt missed a crucial field-goal attempt during the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field.
Szmyt, making his NFL regular-season debut, missed a point-after attempt earlier in the game. Both kicks missed to the right.
Szmyt’s FG attempt was from 36 yards, and would have given the Browns a 19-17 lead.
“Andre Szmyt in his first-ever NFL game,” Fox play-by-play announcer Kevin Kugler said during the broadcast. “What must be going through his mind right now?”
“Wow!” color analyst Daryl Johnston said. “One of those decisions you make during the course of training camp. And kind of ironic it was the PAT that gets you into that position because that was probably the deciding factor to go with Andre Szmyt over Dustin Hopkins.”
“The margin between a good and bad Sunday is often very slim,” Kugler added.
“It’s like any player that feels that he let his team down,” Johnston said. “It is the sickest feeling you can imagine because your mistake hurts so many other people. And it is hard to shake it off. And for Andre Szmyt as a kicker? You’ve got to be able to get rid of it quick.”
“He was perfect through preseason, perfect through camp,” Kugler said. “Hopkins struggled, missed two extra points in the preseason. They went with Andre Szymt. And unfortunately for Cleveland to this point, that decision has not paid off.”
“No. And we watched him Friday in practice,” Johnston said. “He was great Friday in practice.”
“Right down the middle on every kick,” Kugler said.
Video of the field-goal miss from Fox via Twitter/X:
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: ‘What must be going through his mind?’: Browns kicker Andre Szmyt struggles vs Bengals
Reporting by Dave Clark, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
