BEREA, Ohio — The Browns fell in their season opener Sunday to the Cincinnati Bengals in heartbreaking fashion—losing by a single point. More heartbreaking was that four points were left off the board due to missed kicks from Andre Szmyt in his NFL regular-season debut. But despite struggles from the new kicker, the Browns are sticking with Szmyt as they prepare for the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2.
Szmyt made his first field goal attempt on Sunday, a kick from 45 yards out that went through the uprights. But after a go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter, Szmyt pushed it wide right on the extra point attempt. The damage was made worse when Szmyt was given the opportunity for a go-ahead and would-be game-winning redemption field goal, but from 36 yards out, Szmyt pushed it wide right once again.
On Wednesday, the first practice since the game, head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed that they would be giving Szmyt another opportunity, sticking with him as their kicker for Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens on the road.
"He will [kick Sunday], yeah. A young player who will only get better. Obviously, he wants to come through in those moments. We expect him to come through in those moments, but just like any player on our roster, he'll continue to get better," Stefanski said.
Szmyt said before practice on Wednesday that he was grateful for the Browns sticking with him, focused now on the upcoming game and leaving the misses in the past.
"It feels good that they believed in me. I kind of flushed last weekend, just focused on this weekend," Szmyt said.
Szmyt won the starting job this summer, in production throughout training camp and the preseason. He hit a game-winner in the Week 3 preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams that solidified his spot, with the team releasing veteran kicker Dustin Hopkins and moving forward with Szmyt.
His ability to earn the role he currently holds is what is keeping him confident as he looks to bounce back from Sunday's performance.
"I think I put my best foot forward in the offseason, in training camp, preseason. So like I talked about it at the end of preseason, hitting the game winner, not letting the highs get too high and not think the lows get too low. So now obviously it sucks, but you move on and move on to this week," Szmyt said.
After Sunday's game. Szmyt's teammates were full of support for the first-year kicker, who was making his NFL debut out of the UFL.
"It happens. I dropped a pass. You just got to focus on the next play, next drive, next game," said wide receiver Jerry Jeudy after the game.
Left guard and veteran leader Joel Bitonio also showed support for Szmyt after the game.
"We're a team. We take that loss as a team. Keep his head up. First game, I remember how nervous I was, I still get nervous first game of the season, so I understand the nerves and I think he'll bounce back. He has the right mindset and hopefully, he has a good week next week to get him back in the flow," Bitonio said.
That support is also something Szymt is grateful for, using it as even more motivation to get it right for Week 2.
"It feels good that I have the support from the teammates. So I just want to go out there and put my best foot forward and bounce back," Szmyt said.
Szmyt will get that chance on Sunday at 1 p.m. inside M&T Bank Stadium as the Browns head into their second-straight AFC North matchup, this time in Baltimore against the Ravens.
"We expect Andre to do his job, just like our team expects me to do my job, how I expect every player to do their job. We're not going to be perfect. We will own that together, but we have a ton of confidence because of what we've seen from this young man," Stefanski said.
