In what seems a little like a world turned upside down, the NFL had a huge problem with kickers in Week 1 but that did not include the Cleveland Browns. While rookie kicker Cade York was busy hitting all four of his field goal attempts and both of his extra points, kicks were sailing wide right, wide left or doinking off the goal post all around the league.
While Browns fans celebrate finding a solid kicker for the next (hopefully) 10-plus years, and Jim Donovan and Nathan Zegura get their voices back, other teams are scrambling.
The Indianapolis Colts, a team expected to compete in the rugged AFC, tied the Houston Texans, a team not expected to compete even in the lowly AFC South, in Week 1.
Tuesday, the Colts cut kicker Rodrigo Blankenship after he missed one of his three field goal attempts. In his place, Indianapolis signed two kickers including former Cleveland kicker Chase McLaughlin:
At first glance, it looks like leg strength was critical to the Colts signing McLaughlin and Havrisik to compete for the kicking job https://t.co/xRuF30Q9Hg
— Joel A. Erickson (@JoelAErickson) September 13, 2022
For his career, McLaughlin has attempted 49 field goals, only making 37 (75.5%). Last year in Cleveland, he made just 15 of his 21 field goal attempts (71.4%) and was waived shortly after the team drafted York.
Lucas Havrisik, the other kicker signed to compete in Indianapolis, played five years at the University of Arizona where he only made 64.2% of his 53 field goal attempts. He also missed five extra points.
Thank goodness for GM Andrew Berry drafting York this year or Browns fans would have to convince themselves that kickers with these track records could turn it around in Cleveland.