This past weekend, my two favorite teams showed the importance of the kicking game in college and professional football.
The Cleveland Browns pulled out a last-second win over the Indianapolis Colts because placekicker Dustin Hopkins had an unbelievable day. By himself, he accounted for 15 points, going 4 for 4 on field goals and converting all three extra points he tried. Three of those field goals were over 50 yards long, including a 58-yarder. (I’m old enough to remember when making a 50-yard field goal was an exceptional feat, so it’s extraordinary to me that someone could do it three times in a single game.) The points notched by Hopkins kept the Browns in the game and allowed them to eke out a win with a last-second touchdown. In the meantime, Browns punter Corey Bojorquez punted five times, averaging 54.4 yards, with a long kick of 69 yards. When your offense is struggling, as the Browns’ offense has been for most of this season, having a punter who can drive the other team deep into their own territory is crucial.
Hopkins’ steadiness is in marked contrast to the inconsistency of the Browns’ prior kicker, Cade York. You never knew whether York would miss a chip shot or shank an extra point, deflating the fans and dispiriting the rest of the team. And having a sound, professional placekicker has also seemed to change the decision-making of coach Kevin Stefanski–who seems much more willing to trot out the field goal team and go for three points this season, rather than always trying to convert on fourth down, now that he knows he has a player who is likely to make those kicks. Hopkins has made 16 of his 18 field goal attempts this season, and Stefanski clearly has confidence in him. The pre-season decision to trade a 7th-round pick in the 2025 draft for Hopkins is looking like an incredibly good move by Browns’ General Manager Andrew Berry.
The Ohio State Buckeyes also showed the impact, both good and bad, of the kicking game in their win over Penn State. In my view, the key play of the game came when the Buckeyes were pinned deep in their own territory and punter Jesse Mirco launched a 72-yarder that totally flipped the field. I texted a friend that former Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel, who once famously remarked that the punt is the most important play in football, would have loved that punt and what it accomplished. The downside for the Buckeyes came when placekicker Jayden Fielding, who has been solid this season, missed a makeable field goal near the end of the game that would have put the contest on ice, giving Penn State hope and spurring them to score on a drive that made the final score closer than it needed to be.
Football is a team game, and special teams are an essential part of the sport. Week after week, the kicking game reminds us there’s a reason the sport is called “football.”
Webner House 